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Arms and the Man (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays) Paperback – July 1, 1990

by George Bernard Shaw (Author)

4.3 226 ratings

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In the opening scene of Arms and the Man, which establishes the play's embattled Balkan setting, young Raina learns of her suitor's heroic exploits in combat. She rhapsodizes that it is "a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance!" Soon, however, such romantic falsifications of love and warfare are brilliantly and at times hilariously unmasked in a comedy that reveals George Bernard Shaw at his best as an acute social observer and witty provocateur.
First produced on the London stage in 1894, Arms and the Man continues to be among the most performed of Shaw’s plays around the world. The play is reprinted in its entirety here from an authoritative British edition, and is complete with Shaw's stimulating preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant.

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Debuting in 1990, the Thrift Editions library of classic literature is a top choice for teachers, students, librarians, and recreational readers around the world. Dover’s longstanding mission of exceptional value has consistently offered excellence in classic fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poetry.

Dover Thrift Editions are low priced, compact (5"x8"), complete and unabridged.
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In addition to single title books, Dover offers books of anthologies in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Check out our Thrift Editions of short stories, literary collections, poetry, gothic and horror, SciFi/Fantasy, crime/mystery/thrillers and more. Happy Reading!

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Arms and the Man, George Bernard Shaw, Dover Thrift Editions, Plays

In the course of his long and prolific career, George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) wrote 60 plays, in addition to music and literary criticism.

Witty masterpiece combines high comedy with social commentary in deflating romantic misconceptions of love and warfare. First produced in 1894, Arms and the Man is one of the most acted and studied of Shaw's plays. It is reprinted here from an authoritative early edition, complete with Shaw's preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant.

Dover Thrift Editions library of classic literature - a long standing mission of exceptional value

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In the opening scene of Arms and the Man, which establishes the play's embattled Balkan setting, young Raina learns of her suitor's heroic exploits in combat. She rhapsodizes that it is "a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance!" Soon, however, such romantic falsifications of love and warfare are brilliantly and at times hilariously unmasked in a comedy that reveals George Bernard Shaw at his best as an acute social observer and witty provocateur.
First produced on the London stage in 1894, Arms and the Man continues to be among the most performed of Shaw's plays around the world. The play is reprinted in its entirety here from an authoritative British edition, and is complete with Shaw's stimulating preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant.

About the Author

In the course of his long and prolific career, George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) wrote 60 plays, in addition to music and literary criticism. An avid socialist, he regarded his writing as a vehicle for promoting his political and humanitarian views.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0486264769
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; Reissue edition (July 1, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 80 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780486264769
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486264769
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.48 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.25 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,102,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,085 in British & Irish Dramas & Plays
- #12,248 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #25,116 in Classic Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.3 226 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

226 global ratings

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John M

Review of Arms and the Man

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2019

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A delightful play to read, light hearted but wonderfully written. Although read as an assignment, would recommend for pleasure reading.

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019

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I love the writings of Shaw

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Saurabh Sharma

A satire on War and Society

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013

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This is a classic play by George Bernard Shaw. It not only satirise war and the romantic notions of courage and bravery that one associates with it but also raises questions about the class system prevalent in the society. A work of serious thought written in the most breeziest of style. This is indeed Shaw at his most witty and at the same time contemplative best.

One person found this helpful

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Dhashaka Sivasuriam

Wonderful

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

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Bernard Shaw the man!

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John P. Jones III

Ah, those Balkans, and their squabbles…

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2018

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I recently re-read and reviewed Shaw’s Man and Superman (Penguin Classics) . I was not overwhelmed, so I decided to give another of his more famous works a try, for the first time. Alas, I found this work even less satisfying.

This play first premiered twenty years before the commencement of the First World War. The setting is the Balkans, the source of much conflict. Events in the Balkans would be immediate cause of the “Great War.” Almost 30 years earlier, those tangled alliances and competing ethnic rivalries were very much extant, demonstrated by the Battle of Slivnitsa. It was a “proxy war,” of sorts. Bulgaria, on the one side, with Russian generals commanding their troops. The other side was Serbia, with Austrian generals. Bulgaria decisively won this battle. The play commences at the immediate aftermath of the battle. For the commencement of WWI, the Russians had changed sides, and were supporting their Orthodox “brothers,” the Serbs, against Austria.

The setting is an upscale room of the Petkoff’s, a leading and rich Bulgarian family. Catherine is approximately 40, her daughter, Raina, 23. She is engaged to Sergius Saranoff, who has just lead a successful cavalry charge in the battle. Suddenly a man breaks into the room, seeking refuge. Turns out he is a Swiss mercenary officer, who did not go to the highest bidder, but rather the first country in the conflict that he came to, when traveling from Switzerland. Shaw plays to the national stereotype, and the officer loves his chocolates, more than bullets even, and is henceforth called the “chocolate soldier.”

Slapstick abounds. Russian officers break into the house, in pursuit of the “chocolate soldier,” whose name is Captain Bluntschli. He is hiding behind the curtain, and is protected by Raina and Catherine, even though Raina’s fiancé had just been in a battle attempting to kill Bluntschli. In addition to the “geopolitical tangles,” Shaw stirs in star-crossed romantic tangles as well, with the forthright and head-strong maid, Louka, playing a prominent role. There is a reasonable amount of social criticism as well, none too shocking for today, but perhaps for the time it was: there is the ever-so-familiar, and ever-so-repeated “folly of war,” and there are the various affairs that the “gratin” of Bulgarian society are engaged in.

For better or worse, for most of two decades my theater-experiences were mainly in Riyadh. The selection of plays was not overwhelming: usually only one, in an expat compound. Comedies of mistaken identity seemed to be a frequent choice, with the denouement being a cheerful resolution and a happy ending. Sometimes I wanted to scream, but these singular plays “were the only game in town.”

Thus, I saw Shaw’s play largely through that Riyadh prism, and therefore may be demonstrating my bias against light-hearted comedies when I rate this play 3-stars.

2 people found this helpful

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J B Hopkins

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2016

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It's a play, not a novel.

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2015

Had to be great!

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2015

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Beautiful play!

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Cliente Amazon

Una edición excelente. Quiero más.

Reviewed in Spain on May 13, 2022

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Este es el segundo volumen de las obras de teatro de Shaw en esta edición de Oxford World's Classics que he adquirido. Una edición cuidada y excelente, las obras me han encantado, especialmente "Caesar and Cleopatra".
No entiendo porqué otros volúmenes (p. ej., el de "Man and Superman", "Major Barbara" y otra obra) no están disponibles en versión Kindle, sólo en papel.

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Sasha Gracanin

A classic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2013

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Having seen it on stage, reading it just added to the incredulity how smart and witty GB Shaw was. An absolute must for every Shaw aficionado, but even more so for someone who likes Classic Theatre.

Patricia Doughty

It's an interesting play but large slabs of the dialogue ...

Reviewed in Australia on November 6, 2015

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It's an interesting play but large slabs of the dialogue were overprinted with the illustrations in this edition and couldn't be read.

ISHAN RAHUL

A NOSTALGIC BUT INTERESTING CASE OF MINE...

Reviewed in India on May 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

THIS BOOK WAS MY ENGLISH COURSE BOOK WHEN I WAS IN CLASS 8 . AT THAT TIME IT WAS A HEADACHE TO STUDY IT AND COMPLETE ITS ASSIGNMENTS. I ALSO DID NOT SCORED WELL IN THAT ENGLISH PAPER. BUT TODAY AFTER 9 YEARS I CAME ACROSS THIS BOOK ON AMAZON...ORDERED IT...WHAT A DELIGHT IT IS NOW TO READ THAT OLD CLASS BOOK....I WONDER AND LAUGH WHY I DIDN'T LIKED IT THEN....ITS A FABULOUS STORY....HUMOROUS.....WITH THE SIGNATURE OF ONE OF THE ALL TIME LITERARY GIANTS --SIR GEORGE BERNARD SHAW.

5 people found this helpful

B. Hannon

Arms and the Man

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2013

Verified Purchase

I wanted this play to reread it as I studied it for 'O' Levels in 1973!!
It brought back lots of memories.
Well worth the effort.

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Arms and the Man (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays) Paperback – July 1, 1990

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Are there any collections of stories or poetry in the Dover Thrift Editions?

What formats are the Thrift Editions available in?

American History/History

Black History

Biography and Autobiography

Classic Novels

Crime, Mystery and Thrillers

Gothic and Horror

Literary Collections

Plays

Philosophy

Political Science

Poetry

Psychology

Religion

SciFi and Fantasy

Short Stories

Speeches and Quotations

From the Publisher

In the course of his long and prolific career, George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) wrote 60 plays, in addition to music and literary criticism.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the authors

George Bernard Shaw

William-Alan Landes

Hannah Bos

Paul Thureen

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