Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

What is Restoration comedy? What pleasure does it offer its audience, and what significance does it find in exploring that pleasure? Edward Burns here provides a new account of the origins and nature of Restoration comedy as a distinct genre. The book enlarges the usual focus with a wider range of writers than the conventional ossified canon taking in a revaluation of many rarely studied dramatists, a reconsideration of pastoral, and the instatement of women writers as major contributors to the culture of the age. It offers a substantial and original interpretation of one of the most intriguing of seventeenth-century literature forms.

A fresh look at a play usually regarded as the first component of a three-part historical epic, this edition argues that Henry VI Part 1 is a 'prequel', a freestanding piece that returns for ironic and dramatic effect to a story already familiar to its audience. The play's ingenious use of stage space is closely analysed, as is its manipulation of a series of setpiece combats to give a coherent syntax of action. Discussion of the dramatic structure created by the opposing figures of Talbot and Jeanne la Pucelle, and exploration of the critical controversies surrounding the figure of Jeanne, lead to a reflection on the nature of the history play as genre in the 1590s.

Steven Spielberg's Oscar winning, epic, World War 2 drama is set against the backdrop of the Normandy landings. A squad of American soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), receive top-level instructions to undertake an unusual mission: to rescue Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have all been killed in action. As the soldiers forge deeper into enemy territory, they begin to question the sense of risking life and limb for the sake of one man.

A fresh look at a play usually regarded as the first component of a three-part historical epic, this edition argues that "Henry VI Part 1" is a "prequel," a freestanding piece that returns for ironic and dramatic effect to a story already familiar to its audience. The play's ingenious use of stage space is closely analyzed, as is its manipulation of a series of set-piece combats to give a coherent syntax of action. Discussion of the dramatic structure created by the opposing figures of Talbot and Jeanne la Pucelle, and exploration of the critical controversies and "puzzles" surrounding the figure of Jeanne, lead to a reflection on the nature of the history play as genre in the 1590s. Burns provides notes on his editorial procedure in the section before the play itself. Appendices on names, naming, and wordplay; casting; contemporary adaptations; and military hierarchy and the conduct of war in the age of Henry VI are also included. The Arden Shakespeare has developed a reputation as the pre-eminent critical edition of Shakespeare for its exceptional scholarship, reflected in the thoroughness of each volume. An introduction comprehensively contextualizes the play, chronicling the history and culture that surrounded and influenced Shakespeare at the time of its writing and performance, and closely surveying critical approaches to the work. Detailed appendices address problems like dating and casting, and analyze the differing Quarto and Folio sources. A full commentary by one or more of the play's foremost contemporary scholars illuminates the text, glossing unfamiliar terms and drawing from an abundance of research and expertise to explain allusions and significant background information. Highly informative and accessible, Arden offers the fullest experience of Shakespeare available to a reader.

'To know his work without his talk is "not to know him" ...only when they are side by side is the common origin and aim seen and the complete man displayed.' Thus Thomas Rooke, studio assistant to Burne-Jones, who over four years memorised and recorded much of his master's studio and lunch-table talk. The man revealed with startling freshness and immediacy is far from the familiar painter of knightly melancholy and abstract angels. Burne-Jones emerges as a loveable and charming man, far more practical and down-to-earth, far more witty and ironic than might have been expected. He may still regret that he was not born in the Middle Ages and reminisce about the golden years with William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti in the 1850's and 60's. But he is still hard at work on his last great collaboration with Morris, the Kelmscott Chaucer, while not hesitating to fulminate about Britain's imperial pretensions and the hypocrisy that accompanied them. And he is unfailingly articulate when it comes to discussing the craft of painting in relation to himself, his contemporaries and the giants of the past. The conversations are edited by Mary Lago, Professor of English at the University of Missouri-Columbia, who also wrote extensively on William Rothenstein, Rabindranath Tagore and E. M. Forster.

The 9th edition of Maudsley & Burn's Land Law Cases and Materials continues to provide an essential reference work for students and practitioners. It includes a wide range of extracts from cases, statutes, Law Commission reports and other literature, which highlight the key issues to understand the present law and its continuing development.

Adventure drama based on the novel by Elleston Trevor. The story revolves around the plight of Captain Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid), a pilot whose C-119 cargo plane full of oil workers could not withstand the violent winds of a desert sandstorm. Stranded in the harsh terrain of Mongolia's Gobi Desert, Frank and his navigator face a challenge in maintaining order among the survivors. The group of oilmen had planned on an uneventful trip to shut off a group of rigs falling below their productivity expectations - not fending for their very lives. Before long, some men are revealed as cowards, while others exhibit a surprising show of strength, all the while hoping that the wreckage of the original plane can be salvaged.

The last work of Burne-Jones: a series of woodcut illustrations to the first chapters of Genesis, making a perfect epitome of his art. Reprinted from the original edition of 1902.

The notorious corner of West Fayette and Monroe Streets in Baltimore is a 24-hour open-air drug market that provides the economic fuel for a dying neighbourhood. Through the eyes of one broken family - two drug-addicted adults and their smart, vulnerable fifteen-year-old son, DeAndre McCollough - Simon and Burns examine the sinister realities of inner cities across the USA and unflinchingly assess why law enforcement policies, moral crusades and the welfare system have accomplished so little.

Steven Spielberg's Oscar winning, epic, World War 2 drama is set against the backdrop of the Normandy landings. A squad of American soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), receive top-level instructions to undertake an unusual mission: to rescue Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have all been killed in action. As the soldiers forge deeper into enemy territory, they begin to question the sense of risking life and limb for the sake of one man.

Sure, she can be a little overbearing sometimes, but baby-faced Johnny Rizzo loves his fiancee Claire, and he made her a promise: by the time he's 25-years-old, he'll trade his current dream job as a local sports talk radio host (even if it is the 2 a.m. slot) for something that'll pay bigger bucks. And Johnny's nothing, if not a man of his word. Now he's flying to New York to interview for some snoozeville job that Claire's well-to-do father set up. Enter Uncle Terry, who lives in New York, a rascally womanizer bent on turning a day in the Hamptons into a final fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny's not interested, of course, but then he meets the lovely Brooke.... A master of the modern relationship dramedy, Edward Burns is once again in top form as a writer, director, and actor. His swaggering bartender Terry is the perfect foil to baby-faced Matt Bush's (Adventureland) Johnny, and together they're great at trading Burns' characteristically sharp dialogue. More contrasts are mined with Anna Wood's image-conscious Claire and Kerry Bische's (Scrubs) Brooke, a blonde-haired and bright-eyed free spirit. Burns wraps a summery tone around Johnny's real crisis: follow through with your promises, or follow your heart?

Crime thriller based on 'Cross', the 12th novel in James Patterson's detective series. Tyler Perry stars as detective Alex Cross, who meets his ultimate match in serial killer Picasso (Matthew Fox). As Cross begins to investigate Picasso's string of sadistic murders, he receives the horrific news that his own wife has been killed. Cross vows to hunt down the killer if it's the last thing he does - but finds himself up against a true master of evasion and manipulation.