UNITED KINGDOM AUTHOR · BIOGRAPHY · FICTION
Masters, Anthony
The tail of the comet slashed the dawn and in the red light of the rising sun, for a brief instant, it seemed as if the comet was bleeding across the sky.
— from The Rescue
Most acclaimed
The Rescue
A LADY WHO KNOWS TOO MUCH... There's nothing like witnessing a murder to shake up one's life. That's what Miss Primrose Victoria Dane discovers when she accidentally stumbles upon the scene of a deadly crime. Suddenly the well-bred spinster is on the run, hiding from a killer in the most notorious back alleys of east London--and finding to her surprise that she is more than up for the adventure...until she gets caught by a ruthless stranger with a wicked smile.... A ROGUE WITH A LOT TO LEARN... Black-clad, black-haired, black-hearted Nightshade. Once he was a master thief who ruled the London netherworld, executing daring daylight robberies, slipping into glittering ballrooms to relieve the ton of its jewels. Yet now Nightshade has gone respectable...and only a favor to a friend has brought him back to his old haunts--and his old ways. Tracking down a lost spinster seems an easy task. But Nightshade isn't prepared for the irresistible innocence of Miss Primrose Dane, a beautiful waif with a spirit that could win his heart--and a secret that could get him killed.
Macbeth
This volume features the full text of the play, a complete glossary, production notes, excerpts of important scenes and passages from multiple productions, and interviews and essays from notable Shakespeare scholars and performers. The audio CD with this edition of Macbeth contains a series of unique recordings to illustrate how different actors place their own interpretation on the play. Hear Orson Welles in a 1940s recording reciting Macbeth's famous soliloquy 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow'. Compare that to a contemporary version by Stephen Dillane from 1998. There are also superb performances from Sir Alec Guinness, Simon Russell Beale, Harriet Walter, Fiona Shaw and David Tennant. The text is illustrated throughout with photographs from notable productions including Trevor Nunn's 1976 RSC production with Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench, Roman Polanski's 1971 film, and Michael Kahn's 2004-5 production at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. The book also takes you behind the scenes with reproductions of set drawings, costume designs and scene edits, including images from the 1937-38 production at the Old Vic starring Laurence Olivier and Judith Anderson. As well as the playtext, there are articles covering a range of topics including 'In Production: Macbeth through the Years' by William Proctor Williams, 'Macbeth in Popular Culture' by Douglas Lanier, 'A Voice Coach's Perspective on Speaking Shakespeare' by Andrew Wade and 'In the Age of Shakespeare' by Thomas Garvey. The Sourcebooks Shakespeare Macbeth is an invaluable tool for students of all ages from GCSE to A Level and beyond.
Hamlet
This Handbook's central commentary leads the reader through Hamlet's text, noting what it requires from its actors and the choices they are offered. Attention is also paid to plot and dramatic structure, the changing activity and grouping of persons on stage, and variations of pace. An account is given of early editions, the theatrical conditions of early performances, and the social, political and cultural context of the time, with generous quotations from contemporary writings. Notable productions and performances are described and a variety of critics cited to offer a number of different ways to understand the play's achievements and significance.