Prefaces

London, (1934): Constable and Co. Ltd. First Edition. Thick Large Octavo. 802 pp. pictorial title page. Shaw's Prefaces gathers the often sprawling introductions he wrote to accompany his plays. Far from conventional notes, these prefaces became self-contained essays in which Shaw used the stage as a springboard to argue about politics, religion, education, economics, morality, and the state of modern civilization. They reveal his conviction that drama should not merely entertain but challenge society's assumptions and provoke reform. Witty, ironic, and uncompromising, the Prefaces stand as some of Shaw's most important prose. They capture the mind of a dramatist who refused to separate art from social responsibility, and whose humor and intelligence ensured that even his fiercest arguments retained sparkle and bite. Together, they form a lively companion to his plays and a lasting testament to Shaw as one of the twentieth century's most brilliant critics of society. Bound by Leighton-Straker (signed) in a decorative full morocco binding accented in gilt, spine lettering gilt, gilt ruled morocco turn-ins, top edge gilt all others red, no names, foxing or bookplates, just a bit of fading to the blue morocco.