Author:George Bernard Shaw,Dan Laurence,Michael Billington

Shaw believed that theatre audiences of the 1890s deserved more than the hollow spectacle and sham he saw displayed on the London stage. But he also recognized that people wanted to be entertained while educated, and to see purpose mixed with pleasure. In these three plays of ideas, Shaw employed traditional dramatic forms - Victorian melodrama, the history play and the adventure story - to turn received wisdom upside down. Set during the American War of Independence, The Devil's Disciple exposes fake Puritanism and piety, while Caesar and Cleopatra, a cheeky riposte to Shakespeare, redefines heroism in the character of the ageing Roman leader. And in Captain Brassbound's Conversion, an expedition in Morocco is saved from disaster by a lady explorer's skilful manipulation of the truth.
A welcome return to this lovable character.
—— Good HousekeepingWith characters it is impossible not to care about, this is storytelling at its very best
—— Daily MailAn emotional and moving epic you won't forget in a hurry
—— Woman's WeeklyA heartwarming tale of the triumph of the human spirit
—— Woman and HomeEnchanting
—— Sunday TimesIt's easy to get absorbed in this novel...Life is not like this, but would it be such a bad thing if there were a it more magic in the world?
—— Daily TelegraphHoffman delivers one of the best plot twists I can remember
—— ObserverHoffman is a skilled and experienced writer... beautifully constructed
—— GuardianA strangely provocative, grown-up fairy fable
—— Good HousekeepingCuts deeply into the griefs and passions that shape us all and into heartbreaking secrets
—— The TimesEmotionally compelling
—— Psychologies MagazineHoffman writes as beautifully as ever
—— Marie ClaireHoffman knows that good fairytales, like people, are never simple
—— HeraldBeautifully written, mystical and intriguing, this is a story of life, death, love and second chances. Enthralling
—— Woman and Home






