A Brief History of Gnolls: Anthropophagy and Emeralds from Wales to Wisconsin and Beyond traces the history of the title fantasy creatures in literature and gaming, from when they were first introduced nearly a century ago up through the present.

Features of this unique and entertaining volume include two entertaining quasi-academic essays by writer Paul Haynie that examine the literary history of Gnolls; an appendix containing the 1912 Lord Dunsany short story that first introduces the creatures in question; and illustrations by artists Jon Kaufman and Sidney Sime.

A Brief History of Gnolls is the first in a series of similar books that will be devoted to other sorts of fantasy creatures with origins in folklore and literature, such as Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, and Trolls.