Michael Holroyd is the distinguished British biographer of writer Lytton Strachey (whose life formed the basis of the film Carrington) as well as the painter Augustus John. But his voluminous biography of writer George Bernard Shaw--the author of Pygmalion (made into the musical My Fair Lady)--originally published in four volumes, is probably his masterwork. This newly abridged one-volume edition has the virtue of cutting the documentation--which will be missed only by other scholars on Shaw--and is aimed squarely at the general reader, who will find here an entertaining survey with a wide base of interest. Unlike other recent books on Shaw that focus on a single aspect such as sexuality or politics, Holroyd's approach is general and quite successful. One feels that the biographer has grasped what was important to Shaw at each crucial moment of his life. Thus the biography becomes a kind of companion to the life, discreetly pointing out features of interest, but never overly imposing Holroyd's own personality, though there are some wry observations--such as those about Shaw's estate in recent years--that indicate Holroyd's dry wit. Though not short at 704 pages, there are no longueurs, and this book is a fine example of biography at its best, a must for literature collections. --Benjamin Ivry
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Used availability for Michael Holroyd's Bernard Shaw
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Hardback Editions
September 1998 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: The One-Volume Definitive Edition Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-375-50049-9 / 978-0-375-50049-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Inc (T) Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
August 1997 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: A Biography Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-6279-1 / 978-0-7011-6279-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
May 1995 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Volume 3: Lure Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-517-14398-4 / 978-0-517-14398-8 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Value Publishing Availability: Amazon Amazon CA More details... |
October 1994 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Volume 3: Lure Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-517-13035-1 / 978-0-517-13035-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Value Publishing Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
March 1993 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw 1950-1991: The Last Laugh: 4 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-679-41987-X / 978-0-679-41987-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Inc (T) Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1992 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw II: The Pursuit of Power Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-517-09457-6 / 978-0-517-09457-0 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Value Publishing Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
December 1992 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Shaw Companion v. 4 & 5 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-3755-X / 978-0-7011-3755-7 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
April 1992 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Last Laugh, 1950-91 v. 4 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-4583-8 / 978-0-7011-4583-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
October 1991 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Volume III: 1918-1950: The Lure of Fantasy (Bernard Shaw) Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-394-57554-7 / 978-0-394-57554-4 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 1991 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Lure of Fantasy, 1918-50 v. 3 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-3351-1 / 978-0-7011-3351-1 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1991 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-3756-8 / 978-0-7011-3756-4 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1989 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Pursuit of Power, 1898-1918 v. 2 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-3350-3 / 978-0-7011-3350-4 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1989 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw, Vol. 2: 1898-1918 - The Pursuit of Power Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-394-57553-9 / 978-0-394-57553-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1988 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: The Search for Love: 001 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 9992134275 / 9789992134276 Publisher: Random House Inc (T) Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1988 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw, Vol. 1: 1856-1898 - The Search for Love Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-394-52577-9 / 978-0-394-52577-8 (USA edition) Publisher: Random House Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 1988 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw Vol 1 : 1856 - 1898 : The Search for Love Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-3332-5 / 978-0-7011-3332-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Chatto & Windus Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 1988 : Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw Author(s): Holroyd Michael Publisher: Chatto and Windus Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
Hardback
| Title: Bernard Shaw Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-7011-4001-1 / 978-0-7011-4001-4 (UK edition) Availability: Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Paperback Editions
December 2005 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: The One-Volume Definitive Edition Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-393-32718-3 / 978-0-393-32718-2 (USA edition) Publisher: W. W. Norton Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
1999 : Paperback
| Title: BERNARD SHAW Author(s): Michael Holroyd Publisher: Pan Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
July 1998 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: A Biography Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-09-974901-7 / 978-0-09-974901-1 (UK edition) Publisher: Vintage Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1993 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Pursuit of Power, 1898-1918 v. 2 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-14-012442-X / 978-0-14-012442-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1993 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Lure of Fantasy, 1918-50 v. 3 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-14-012443-8 / 978-0-14-012443-9 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 1993 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: Last Laugh, 1950-91 v. 4 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-14-017848-1 / 978-0-14-017848-7 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
August 1993 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: The Concluding Volume - The Lure of Fantasy 1918-1950 & The Last Laugh, An Epilogue Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-679-72507-5 / 978-0-679-72507-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Vintage Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
October 1991 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw V 2: The Pursuit of Power (1898-1918) Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-679-73132-6 / 978-0-679-73132-0 (USA edition) Publisher: Vintage Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 1991 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw: The Search for Love, 1856-98 v. 1 Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-14-012441-1 / 978-0-14-012441-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
August 1990 : Paperback
| Title: Bernard Shaw V 1: The Search For Love (1856-1898) Author(s): Michael Holroyd ISBN: 0-679-72505-9 / 978-0-679-72505-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Vintage Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
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