George Bernard Shaw Books

Pygmalion, Heartbreak House, and Saint Joan are widely considered to be three of the most important in the canon of modern British theatre

Presents a story in which a professor succeeds in transforming an unkempt London flower girl into a society belle and a play involving a complex moral debate, pitting a munitions manufacturer against an officer in the Salvation Army

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Focusing on English theatre history in the late-nineteenth century, this collection features forty essays by Bernard Shaw that showcase his critical acumen and extensive knowledge. The essays cover influential playwrights like Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Wilde, as well as notable actors such as Irving and Ellen Terry. Ideal for theatre enthusiasts and collectors, this modern edition includes a specially commissioned biography of Shaw, making it a valuable addition to any library.

Known for his sharp wit and incisive satire, George Bernard Shaw's collection features thirty-four plays that challenge societal norms and expose hypocrisy. Each piece presents moral dilemmas, engaging readers in thought-provoking themes through clever dialogue and humor. This omnibus promises hours of entertainment while showcasing Shaw's unique ability to blend intellect with entertainment.

Set against the backdrop of post-Battle of Lodi, the narrative unfolds with Napoleon as he reflects on his victory while dining and strategizing. His conversation with innkeeper Giuseppe Grandi is interrupted by a lieutenant bearing troubling news: a youth has cunningly stolen important dispatches. This incident hints at themes of deception and the challenges of leadership during wartime, showcasing the tension between military success and the vulnerabilities that can arise unexpectedly.

As a facsimile reprint of an original antiquarian work, this book preserves its historical significance despite potential imperfections like marks and flawed pages. The effort to make this culturally important text accessible reflects a commitment to protecting and promoting literature. The modern edition aims to provide high-quality reproduction while honoring the authenticity of the original work.

George Bernard Shaw's public career began in arts journalism - as an art critic, a music critic, and, most famously, a drama critic - and he continued writing on cultural and artistic matters throughout his life. His total output of essays and reviews numbers in the hundreds, dwarfing even his prolific playwriting career. This volume of Shaw's Major Cultural Essays introduces readers to the wealth and diversity of Shaw's cultural writings from across the breadth of his professional life, beginning around 1890 and ending in 1950. Topics covered include the theatre, of course, but also music, opera, poetry, the novel, the visual arts, philosophy, censorship, and education. Major figures discussed at length in these works include Ibsen, Wagner, Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Wilde, Mozart, Beethoven, Keats, Rodin, Zola, Ruskin, Dickens, Tolstoy, and Poe, among many others. Coursing with Shavian flair and vigor, these essays showcase the author's broad aesthetic sensibilities, trace the intersection of culture and politics in Shaw's worldview, and provide a fascinating window into the vibrant cultural moment of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The book focuses on the challenge of accessing early 20th-century literature, highlighting the scarcity and rising costs of these classic works. It emphasizes the effort to republish these texts in affordable, high-quality editions, preserving the original content and artwork to make them accessible to contemporary readers.

The ancient Greeks tell the legend of the sculptor Pygmalion, who created a statue of a woman of such surpassing beauty that he fell in love with his own creation. Then, Aphrodite, taking pity on this man whose love could not reach beyond the barrier of stone, brought the statue to life and gave her to Pygmalion as his bride. Centuries later, George Bernard Shaw captured the magic of this legend in his celebrated play, Pygmalion. Pygmalion became Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics, his statue an untutored flower girl from the streets of London, and the barrier between them is class.. Shaw expected Eliza to end up with Freddy and run a flower shop.In My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner takes the legend one step further—the barrier is swept away and Higgins and Eliza are reunited as the curtain falls on one of the loveliest musical plays of our time—winning seven Tonys® for its original Broadway production, and seven Oscars® for its film adaptation.--back cover