This bold undertaking covers Western theatre from ancient Greece to the present day. It traces the development of dramatic art through the miracle plays, the great Shakespearean period, Molière and Racine in France, Goethe in Germany, through the nineteenth century and the main movements in the twentieth century. It is written by David Timson, the British actor and director who features extensively on Naxos AudioBooks in both roles.

Meet James Keane: loveable rogue and unlikely hero. 'Wonderfully imaginative' Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom**. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell.**James Keane - card sharp and ladies' man - is one of the finest soldiers of Wellington's army. Keane - hot-tempered, a maverick, never quite accepted by his fellow officers - is in trouble for killing his man in a duel: an activity forbidden b...

The stories of Shakespeares eight plays based on the Plantagenet Kings of England from Richard II to Richard III are retold here. Entertaining and informative, they present the plots and introduce the main characters. An ideal way to get to know the plays in preparation for a visit to the theatre.

James Keane, one of the finest but most rebellious soldiers in the British army, is under threat of court martial for disobeying Wellesley's strict rules. But his special, even ungentlemanly, skills have caught his general's eye, so he is selected to form a unique hand-picked unit which will work behind enemy lines. Their task: holding a vital crossing post over a river against overwhelming forces, will test Keane's leadership skills to the uttermost. ‘A treat for every history buff, and a...

Here are the stories of ten key Shakespeare plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Richard III, Othello, Macbeth, The Tempest, Henry V, and A Midsummer Nights Dream. David Timson presents the complex plots in a clear, entertaining and informal style, introducing the main characters in the context of the famous lines. This account not only entertains but but also acts as an ideal starter pack for children going to see the plays of Shakespeare.

The doors are opened to eight important plays, including Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winters Tale, Measure for Measure, and Alls Well That Ends Well. These newly written introductions by David Timson have proved eminently useful for young audiences coming to Shakespeare for the first time.

David Timson introduces London Labour and the London Poor and its author Henry Mayhew, who in 1841 founded the satirical magazine Punch before his social conscience moved him to expose in his remarkable book the terrible poverty in London then the richest city in the world.

One evening, wealthy diamond merchant Rudolph Kesselbach is visited at the Palace Hotel by Arsène Lupin. The next day, Kesselbach is found dead from a gunshot wound, with Lupin’s card pinned to his shirt. The wanted Lupin is forced to use all his guile to outwit the gendarmerie and find the real murderer. Unearthing a number of mysterious clues, including a series of letters to Otto von Bismarck, and a clock displaying the number 813, Lupin is soon drawn into a Europe-wide conspiracy. Publ...

The first volume of David Timsons series retelling of the stories from Shakespeares plays was widely praised by newspapers and educators alike. Here is Volume II, with more key plays. It includes Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, and Henry IV, all texts which regularly appear on the exam syllabus.

Carmen is among the most popular operas for all the obvious reasons: great characters, a gripping story and fabulous music. But what sets it on a pinnacle is an amazing combination of three factors: a sizzling gipsy heroine (one of the most psychologically complex and compelling characters in all theatre), great atmosphere (Spain, hot sun, the bull-ring) and the prodigality of melodic invention one great tune after another, at least a dozen of which are the staples of Madison Avenue and th...

London Labour and the London Poor is a rare and fascinating insight into the lives and struggles of the 19th-century poor. Written by journalist and reformer Henry Mayhew, a founder and editor of the satirical magazine Punch, it collects hundreds of testimonials from the lower strata of Victorian society. We encounter street entertainers, ‘pure finders’, cabinetmakers, gingerbread sellers, ‘screeve-fakers’, swindlers and burglars. We hear accounts from toshers finding items in sewers, peop...

A thinly disguised autobiographical novel, The Way of All Flesh is a powerful critique of late Victorian beliefs and values. It tells of several generations of the Pontifex family, with Ernest, son of hypocritical and domineering parents, at the centre of its narrative. After a disastrous career in the church, culminating in a spell in prison, Ernest goes on to find his own way in the world, rejecting both Christianity and the strictures imposed by his family.