A Contemporary Shavian Manifesto presents an appraisal of George Bernard Shaw’s position on women in his plays. The dramatist’s unconventional approach itself is praiseworthy as he creates unwomanly women who are deviant and create their own space outside social conventions and practices. In creating a counterpoint to the norm, Shaw succeeds in creating the image of a “new woman” who is no longer “the angel of the house”. The book explores the ways in which Shaw addresses gender inequality in society through an examination of women’s role in the social, religious, moral and economic spheres. In addition to studying Shaw’s exploration of the radical woman, this book traces his attempts to project a “new woman” who is the pursuer rather than being pursued. The playwright questions the relegation of woman to the domestic space, the arbitrary distribution of duties between men and women and patriarchally-determined codes of conduct imposed upon woman. His foregrounding of women as the force behind what he calls “Creative Evolution” achieves a kind of feminisation of the “life force”, the central theme in his plays.

Sir George Bernard Shaw’s contribution to the Western theatre is unparallel, and hence, is imitated, remembered and read by literature lovers even today. Over the course of his life he wrote more than 60 plays, and nearly all his plays address prevailing social problems, but each also includes a vein of comedy that makes their stark themes more palatable. In these works, Shaw examined education, marriage, religion, government, healthcare, and class privilege as primary themes of his plays. This book is an anthology of some of Shaw’s important plays, which are much talked about, and also prescribed in the English Literature syllabuses of all premier Indian and International Universities. As the title suggests, the book focuses on three important social components of that period—Politics, War and History. The plays discussed and critically analyzed are both in terms of Shaw’s interpretation of his times, and the author’s research on the subject. This book is suited for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of English. Besides, the students doing research work in Shaw’s plays will be benefitted reading this book.

This rigorously compiled A-Z volume offers rich, readable coverage of the diverse forms of post-1945 Italian culture. With over 900 entries by international contributors, this volume is genuinely interdisciplinary in character, treating traditional political, economic, and legal concerns, with a particular emphasis on neglected areas of popular culture. Entries range from short definitions, histories or biographies to longer overviews covering themes, movements, institutions and personalities, from advertising to fascism, and Pirelli to Zeffirelli. The Encyclopedia aims to inform and inspire both teachers and students in the following fields: *Italian language and literature *Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences *European Studies *Media and Cultural Studies *Business and Management *Art and Design It is extensively cross-referenced, has a thematic contents list and suggestions for further reading.