New Releases by Jay Williams

Although the Crusades failed to achieve their military or religious objectives, these wars waged by Christian nations to recapture the Holy Land left the world with amazing legends that have endured for ages. This work explores the remarkable period, recognising the lasting achievements made in the field of the peaceful arts.

In his richly detailed, beautifully illustrated history of Shakespeare''s most popular play - the first comprehensive study of A Midsummer Night''s Dream in the theatre - Gary Jay Williams covers four hundred years of landmark productions in Europe, the United States, and Canada as well as important opera, dance, and film adaptations. Williams shows how the visual and musical vocabularies of production can be read as cultural texts and how these mediative texts determine this play''s available meanings from generation to generation. His account, then, is the story of our imaginative and astonishing uses of Shakespeare''s play. Williams offers detailed theatrical and cultural analyses of the productions of David Garrick, Ludwig Tieck, Elizabeth Vestris, Charles Kean, Harley Granville-Barker, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Max Reinhardt, Peter Brook, Liviu Ciulei, and other artists. His engaging, intelligent study will be invaluable to scholars and teachers of Shakespeare and theatre history and to professional directors, designers, critics, and actors.

Because of the road sweeper''s belief in him, a dragon saves the city of Wu from the Wild Horsemen of the north.

By accidentally short-circuiting Professor Bulfinch''s new crystalline material, Danny Dunn enables the professor to create a new machine that makes Danny invisible.

Two boys who are enemies at school find they must rely on each other when they are transported to a strange world parallel to the one on earth.

A kindly fisherman is sent by the king to find the Water of Life but gives away all his magic implements to needy creatures along the way.

Tells the history of left-wing theater in the United States between the World Wars.

When he learns the significance of their iron club, Arne is forced to grapple with the dangerous crom, creatures that are neither human or animal, and their place in the world as he knows it.

Tip''s father thinks the paper bag they find is full of nothing, but Tip teaches him better.

Determined not to be outdone by her brothers in seeking a fortune in the world, a young princess sets out to find a prince to rescue.

A Dutch boy fulfills his great desire to steer his family''s boat.

When her mother dies, a very homely girl goes out to make her way in the world without a thought that her freckles and her mother''s silver whistle are her greatest assets.

To repay the poor Bimble family for their kindness, the queen of the birds lays a gigantic egg for which the Bimbles find many uses.

A princess uses common sense to get rid of a dragon, save herself from imprisonment, and find a handsome prince.

An account of the life, work and times of the most famous painter of 16th century Venice.

Finding himself without a kingdom, a king goes into the world to improve his fortunes and finds six friends whose special skills help him to get what he wants most.