Brod, Max, trans, by G. Humphreys Roberts and Richard Winston, Franz Kafka. A Biography, Schocken Books, 1960,267 p.

An important work by Kafka's personal fhend Brod preserved and edited Kafka's manuscnpts after his death

Hayman, Ronald. Kafka- A Biography, Oxford University Press, 1982, 349 p.

A experienced biographer provides insights into Kafka's personal and family relationships

Kafka, Franz, ed. by Max Brod. The Diaries of Franz Kafka, 1910-23, Schocken, 1948-49.

Kafka kept extensive diaries throughout his life. The entries for the period during which he wrote "In the Penal Colony" focus on his difficulties in writing his novels

Neumeyer, Peter "Do Not Teach Kafka's 'In The Penal Colony '" College Literature.Vdl VI, No 2, Spring, 1979, pp 103-112.

Neumeyer makes several forceful criticisms of the John Muir translation of Kafka's works.

Tauber, Herbert. Franz Kafka An Interpretation of His Works, Haskell House Publishers, 1968, 252 p.

This book provides accessible readings of...