George Bernard Shaw

When George Bernard Shaw died in 1950, the world lost one of its most well-known authors, a revolutionary who was as renowned for his personality as he was for his humour, humanity, and rebellious thinking. He remains a compelling figure who deserves attention not only for how influential he was in his time, but for how relevant he is to ours. This collection sets Shaw's life and achievements in context, with forty-two scholarly essays devoted to subjects that interested him and defined his work. Contributors explore a wide range of themes, moving from factors that were formative in Shaw's life, to the artistic work that made him most famous and the institutions with which he worked, to the political and social issues that consumed much of his attention, and, finally, to his influence and reception. Presenting fresh material and arguments, this collection will point to new directions of research for future scholars.

George Bernard Shaw demanded truth and despised convention. He punctured hollow pretensions and smug prudishness—coating his criticism with ingenious and irreverent wit. In Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Arms and the Man, Candida, and Man and Superman, the great playwright satirizes society, military heroism, marriage, and the pursuit of man by woman. From a social, literary, and theatrical standpoint, these four plays are among the foremost dramas of the age—as intellectually stimulating as they are thoroughly enjoyable. “My way of joking is to tell the truth: It is the funniest joke in the world.”—G. B. Shaw With an Introduction by Eric Bentley and an Afterword by Norman Lloyd

(Applause Books). "With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer, not even Sir Walter Scott, whom I can despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare when I measure my mind against his." - From SHAW ON SHAKESPEARE Celebrated playwright, critic and essayist George Bernard Shaw was more like the Elizabethan master that he would ever admit. Both men were intristic dramatists who shared a rich and abiding respect for the stage. Shakespeare was the produce of a tempestuous and enlightening era under the reign of his patron, Queen Elizabeth I; while G.B.S. reflected the racy and risque spirt of the late 19th century as the champion of modern drama by playwrights like Ibsen, and, later, himself. Culled from Shaw's reviews, prefaces, letters to actors and critics, and other writings, SHAW ON SHAKESPEARE offers a fascinating and unforgettable portrait of the 16th century playwright by his most outspoken critic. This is a witty and provocative classic that combines Shaw's prodigious critical acumen with a superlative prose style second to none (except, perhaps, Shakespeare!).

Presents four plays by George Bernard Shaw, incuding "Mrs. Warren's Profession," "Pygmalion," "Man and Superman," and "Major Barbara," each with an explanatory annotation, and includes information on the author and his work, a chronology, and a selected bibliography.

The complete texts of The Devil's Disciple, Pygmalion, In the Beginning, Heartbreak House, and Shakes Versus Shav are combined with letters, articles, reviews, and other writings representing the spectrum of Shaw's career

This carefully crafted ebook: "George Bernard Shaw: Collected Articles, Lectures, Essays and Letters" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) was an Irish playwright, essayist, novelist and short story writer and wrote more than 60 plays. He is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Academy Award (1938), for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion (an adaptation of his own play) Content: Quintessence of Ibsenism (1891) The Impossibilities Of Anarchism (1895) The Perfect Wagnerite, Commentary on the Niblung's Ring (1898) The Revolutionist's Handbook And Pocket Companion (1903) Maxims For Revolutionists (1903) First Aid to Critics: Preface to Major Barbara (1905) On Doctors: Preface to The Doctor's Dilemma (1906) The New Theology (1907) On Marriage: Preface to Getting Married How to Write A Popular Play: An Essay (1909) A Treatise on Parents and Children: An Essay (1910) On the Prospects of Christianity: Preface to Androcles and the Lion (1912) What do Men of Letters Say?: The New York Times Articles on War (1915) "Common Sense About the War" "Bennett States the German Case" Open Letter to President Wilson Memories of Oscar Wilde (1916) On Darwinism and Evolution: Preface to Back to Methuselah (1921) A Letter and A Speech by Bernard Shaw: Letter to Beatrice Webb (1898) On Socialism: A Speech (1885) George Bernard Shaw: A Biography By G. K. Chesterton The Quintessence of Shaw By James Huneker Old and New Masters: Bernard Shaw By Robert Lynd George Bernard Shaw: A Poem by Oliver Herford

George Bernard Shaw has been called the second greatest playwright in English (after William Shakespeare) and one of the inventors of modern celebrity as the most famous public intellectual of his time. Beginning in the 1880s, as a critic and as a playwright, he transformed British drama, bringing to it intellectual substance, ethical imperatives, and modernity itself, setting the theatrical course for the subsequent century. That his legacy endures seventy years after his death is testament to the prescience of his thinking and his prolific creativity. This Very Short Introduction looks at Shaw's life, starting with his upbringing in Ireland, and then takes a chronological approach through his works. Considering Shaw's committed antagonism on behalf of a range of socio-political issues; his use of comedy as a mode for communicating serious ideas; and his rhetorical style that pushes conventional boundaries, Christopher Wixson provides an overview of the creative evolution of core themes throughout Shaw's long career. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, essayist, novelist and short story writer and wrote more than 60 plays. He is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Academy Award (1938), for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion (an adaptation of his own play) This edition includes: Novels: Cashel Byron's Profession An Unsocial Socialist Love Among The Artists The Irrational Knot Plays: Widowers' Houses The Philanderer Mrs. Warren's Profession The Man Of Destiny Arms And The Man Candida You Never Can Tell The Devil's Disciple Captain Brassbound's Conversion Caesar And Cleopatra The Gadfly or The Son of the Cardinal The Admirable Bashville Man And Superman John Bull's Other Island How He Lied To Her Husband Major Barbara Passion, Poison, And Petrifaction The Doctor's Dilemma The Interlude At The Playhouse Getting Married The Shewing-Up Of Blanco Posnet Press Cuttings Misalliance The Dark Lady Of The Sonnets Fanny's First Play Androcles And The Lion Overruled Pygmalion Great Catherine The Music Cure O'Flaherty, V. C. Macbeth Skit Glastonbury Skit The Inca Of Perusalem Augustus Does His Bit Skit For The Tiptaft Revue Annajanska, The Bolshevik Empress Heartbreak House Back To Methuselah War Indemnities What do Men of Letters Say? On Socialism The Miraculous Revenge Quintessence Of Ibsenism Basis of Socialism The Transition to Social Democracy The Impossibilities Of Anarchism The Perfect Wagnerite Letter to Beatrice Webb The New Theology Memories of Oscar Wilde The Revolutionist's Handbook And Pocket Companion Maxims For Revolutionists The New Theology How to Write A Popular Play Memories of Oscar Wilde George Bernard Shaw The Quintessence of Shaw Old and New Masters...