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Music & Drama

Most Recommended Books

Anthologie de L'avant-scène théâtre

King Lear by William Shakespeare

“Lear is about all sorts of things but one of the things it’s about is people getting old and not ceding what their kids think they should to them and the kids trying to bully them.”

Kathleen Taylor, Science Writer

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream has always been a great favourite of mine, ever since my school days. I was introduced to it at school when I was about 11 or 12. I’ve seen many productions of it. It’s the first play I edited, for the New Penguin Shakespeare, in 1967. I very much enjoyed writing about it then. It’s a play about imagination, about Shakespeare’s own heart, in many ways. The Mechanicals’ scenes, as they’re called, in which Shakespeare portrays amateur actors putting on the play of Pyramus and Thisbe, actually tell us an awful lot about Shakespeare’s attitude towards the theatre and the acting profession. They’re also wonderfully playable.It’s a play that appeals very much to young people. I’m speaking now from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust at Stratford-Upon-Avon and we have what’s called ‘Shakespeare Week,’ when we engage with over 10,000 primary schools. The Royal Shakespeare Company put on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which uses amateur actors, including schoolchildren.”

Stanley Wells, Literary Scholar

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Le théâtre des idées by Antoine Vitez

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

“Antony and Cleopatra is, in some ways, the most romantic of Shakespeare’s plays. It takes over, in a way, from Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet gives a wonderful exploration of young love, of first love, of romantic attitudes to love. Antony and Cleopatra are mature lovers. They are seasoned. They are disillusioned. It’s an extraordinarily rich play, poetically—as Romeo and Juliet is—but the poetry of Antony and Cleopatra is that of a mature person who has gone through a lot of experiences himself and is capable of expressing the disillusionment of middle-aged love as well as the raptures of it. “

Stanley Wells, Literary Scholar

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Music & Drama

  • Celebrity Studies
  • Film, Cinema & TV
  • Music
  • Theatre

We have a wide range of interviews on music and drama.  Emma Smith, Stanley Wells and René Weis choose their best plays of Shakespeare.  No single play is chosen by all three, although, five are chosen by two of our experts. Mark Nixon chooses his best Samuel Beckett Books and Sos Eltis discusses Oscar Wilde.   Charles Isherwood looks at Broadway and Michael Billington at 20th century theatre.  Florent Masse discusses French Theatre and Slavoj Zizek choses his favourite plays, including Sophocles, Shakespeare, Claudel Brecht and Beckett.

Moving from the drama of the stage to that of the screen, we have Darren Aronofsky choosing his best books on making movies and Frank Cottrell-Boyce talks about filmmaking.  Barry Forshaw talks about Film Noir and Andrew Sarris looks at film criticism.  Ian Christie chooses his best books on Russian cinema and Brian Mcfarlane his on British cinema.  Marina Hyde looks at Hollywood and Basil James and Adrian Kohler choose their best books on puppeteering.  Meanwhile Richard Walter talks screenwriting and Matt Whitecross film directing.  Jane Root discusses where good ideas come from and Woody Allen talks about the books that inspired him.

Turning to music, Igor Toronyi-Lalic chooses his best books on classical music and Philip Vannini looks at the ethnography of music.  Andrew Grant chooses his best books on English church music.  Giles Swayne chooses his best books on the lives of classical composers, Nikola Matisic and Robert Lloyd both choose their best books on Opera and Michael Tanner discusses Wagner.  Alex Ross talks about writing about music.  Menrig and Rachel Bowen choose their best music books for kids.

At a more popular level, Keith Spera chooses his best books on the music of New Orleans.  Dorian Lynskey looks at protest songs and Greil Marcus at rock music.  Keith Kahn Harris discusses heavy metal.  Susan Bordo chooses her best books on popular culture.

    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America), recommended by Kevin Mattson

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    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America) - England's Dreaming, Revised Edition: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond by Jon Savage

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    England's Dreaming, Revised Edition: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond
    by Jon Savage

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    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America) - Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century by Greil Marcus

    2

    Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century
    by Greil Marcus

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    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America) - Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (33 1/3) by Michael Foley

    3

    Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (33 1/3)
    by Michael Foley

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    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America) - We Were Going to Change the World: Interviews with Women from the 1970s and 1980s Southern California Punk Rock Scene by Stacy Russo

    4

    We Were Going to Change the World: Interviews with Women from the 1970s and 1980s Southern California Punk Rock Scene
    by Stacy Russo

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    The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America) - Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History by John Patrick Diggins

    5

    Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History
    by John Patrick Diggins

The best books on Punk Rock (in 80s America), recommended by Kevin Mattson

Punk is more than just a musical genre. It is an ethos. Channelling one’s anger against the triteness of the culture industry’s offerings can be a spontaneous and creative act of resistance and rebellion. Moreover, as Kevin Mattson shows in this selection of books about punk in the 1980s in America, attending a rock concert by a band like the Dead Kennedys was a formative political experience for a generation of citizens, akin to attending a rally or a party convention. It was a spirit of constructive anarchy that can still channel the political anger of the alienated in the 21st century.

    Favourite Theatre Books, recommended by Gyles Brandreth

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    Favourite Theatre Books - Henry Irving: The Actor and His World by Laurence Irving

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    Henry Irving: The Actor and His World
    by Laurence Irving

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    Favourite Theatre Books - Réflexions sur le Théâtre by Jean-Louis Barrault

    2

    Réflexions sur le Théâtre
    by Jean-Louis Barrault

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    Favourite Theatre Books - Funny Way to be a Hero by John Fisher

    3

    Funny Way to be a Hero
    by John Fisher

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    Favourite Theatre Books - Questors, Jesters and Renegades: The Story of Britain's Amateur Theatre by Michael Coveney

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    Questors, Jesters and Renegades: The Story of Britain's Amateur Theatre
    by Michael Coveney

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    Favourite Theatre Books - The Spy of Venice by Benet Brandreth

    5

    The Spy of Venice
    by Benet Brandreth

Favourite Theatre Books, recommended by Gyles Brandreth

The author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth selects five of his favourite books about the theatre from the thousands that grace his bookshelves, taking in nonfiction, histories of music hall and amateur dramatics, plus a 16th century ‘romp’ starring one William Shakespeare.

    The best books on Handel, recommended by Andrew Gant

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    The best books on Handel - Handel: The Man and His Music by Jonathan Keates

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    Handel: The Man and His Music
    by Jonathan Keates

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    The best books on Handel - Handel and the English Chapel Royal by Donald Burrows

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    Handel and the English Chapel Royal
    by Donald Burrows

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    The best books on Handel - Charles Jennens: The Man Behind Handel's Messiah by Ruth Smith

    3

    Charles Jennens: The Man Behind Handel's Messiah
    by Ruth Smith

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    The best books on Handel - A General History of Music: From the Earliest Ages to the Present Period by Charles Burney

    4

    A General History of Music: From the Earliest Ages to the Present Period
    by Charles Burney

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    The best books on Handel - The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany by Mary Delany

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    The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany
    by Mary Delany

The best books on Handel, recommended by Andrew Gant

George Frideric Handel was born near Leipzig, became established in Italy, and ended life as England’s national treasure. Andrew Gant—author of a new book on Handel’s most famous composition—selects the five best texts for gaining an understanding of Handel’s life and work, and explains why opera divas were the premiership footballers of the Baroque period.

    The Best Movies about Race, recommended by Greg Garrett

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    The Best Movies about Race - Gone with the Wind (Movie) by Victor Fleming (director)

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    Gone with the Wind (Movie)
    by Victor Fleming (director)

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    The Best Movies about Race - In the Heat of the Night (Movie) by Norman Jewison (director)

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    In the Heat of the Night (Movie)
    by Norman Jewison (director)

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    The Best Movies about Race - Do the Right Thing (Movie) by Spike Lee (director)

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    Do the Right Thing (Movie)
    by Spike Lee (director)

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    The Best Movies about Race - 12 Years a Slave (Movie) by Steve McQueen (director)

    4

    12 Years a Slave (Movie)
    by Steve McQueen (director)

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    The Best Movies about Race - Get Out (Movie) by Jordan Peele (director)

    5

    Get Out (Movie)
    by Jordan Peele (director)

The Best Movies about Race, recommended by Greg Garrett

Movies are a big part of American cultural life and also one of the country’s biggest cultural exports. As a result, movies play an important role in how Americans see themselves, including in attitudes to race. Here Professor Greg Garrett of Baylor University—film historian, cultural theologian and author of A Long, Long Way: Hollywood’s Unfinished Journey from Racism to Reconciliation—talks us through five movies that best illustrate how Hollywood has evolved in terms of race over the past century, from Gone with the Wind to Get Out.

    The best books on Rock and Roll, recommended by Craig Brown

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    The best books on Rock and Roll - Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock by Nik Cohn

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    Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock
    by Nik Cohn

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    The best books on Rock and Roll - British Hit Singles and Albums ed. David Roberts

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    British Hit Singles and Albums
    ed. David Roberts

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    The best books on Rock and Roll - John Lennon in My Life by Nicholas Schaffner & Pete Shotton

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    John Lennon in My Life
    by Nicholas Schaffner & Pete Shotton

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    The best books on Rock and Roll - Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette by Ronnie Spector & Vince Waldron

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    Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette
    by Ronnie Spector & Vince Waldron

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    The best books on Rock and Roll - I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie by Pamela Des Barres

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    I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie
    by Pamela Des Barres

The best books on Rock and Roll, recommended by Craig Brown

We might console ourselves with the thought that rock stars are generally miserable, but the truth is that most of them seem to have a great time. Journalist, satirist and Beatles biographer Craig Brown selects five of the best books on that rock and roll lifestyle.

    The best books on Beethoven, recommended by Jessica Duchen

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    The best books on Beethoven - Beethoven: Impressions by his Contemporaries by Oscar Sonneck (Editor)

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    Beethoven: Impressions by his Contemporaries
    by Oscar Sonneck (Editor)

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    The best books on Beethoven - Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life by Ruth Padel

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    Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life
    by Ruth Padel

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    The best books on Beethoven - Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet by Edward Dusinberre

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    Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet
    by Edward Dusinberre

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    The best books on Beethoven - Beethoven: The Man Revealed by John Suchet

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    Beethoven: The Man Revealed
    by John Suchet

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    The best books on Beethoven - Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford

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    Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph
    by Jan Swafford

The best books on Beethoven, recommended by Jessica Duchen

He was a much misunderstood man and one of the greatest composers who ever lived. Music critic and novelist Jessica Duchen talks us through the best books about the German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven.

    The best books on Verdi, recommended by Francesco Izzo

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    The best books on Verdi - Verdi (Master Musicians Series) by Julian Budden

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    Verdi (Master Musicians Series)
    by Julian Budden

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    The best books on Verdi - The Cambridge Verdi Encyclopedia by (ed.) Roberta Marvin

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    The Cambridge Verdi Encyclopedia
    by (ed.) Roberta Marvin

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    The best books on Verdi - The Man Verdi by Frank Walker

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    The Man Verdi
    by Frank Walker

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    The best books on Verdi - The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: Oberto to Un Ballo in Maschera by Gabriele Baldini

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    The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: Oberto to Un Ballo in Maschera
    by Gabriele Baldini

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    The best books on Verdi - Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera by Philip Gossett

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    Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera
    by Philip Gossett

The best books on Verdi, recommended by Francesco Izzo

Nearly everyone knows the photo of Verdi’s funeral, the streets of Milan packed with people paying homage to the great composer. How did the son of an innkeeper from Le Roncole become not only one of the most famous opera composers of all time but also a prominent symbol of Italy’s Risorgimento? Verdi expert Francesco Izzo discusses the books to read to best understand the man, the myths, and the music.

    The best books on Celebrity, recommended by Sharon Marcus

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    The best books on Celebrity - My Double Life by Sarah Bernhardt

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    My Double Life
    by Sarah Bernhardt

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    The best books on Celebrity - A Girl Like I by Anita Loos

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    A Girl Like I
    by Anita Loos

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    The best books on Celebrity - Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford

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    Mommie Dearest
    by Christina Crawford

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    The best books on Celebrity - Stars by Richard Dyer

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    Stars
    by Richard Dyer

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    The best books on Celebrity - Becoming by Michelle Obama

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    Becoming
    by Michelle Obama

The best books on Celebrity, recommended by Sharon Marcus

Why are so many of us fascinated by the lives of celebrities? When did interest in the dark side of celebrity become mainstream? Sharon Marcus, author of The Drama of Celebrity and a professor at Columbia University, recommends books to better understand the phenomenon of celebrity.

    The Best Samuel Beckett Books, recommended by Mark Nixon

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    The Best Samuel Beckett Books - Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett by James Knowlson

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    Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett
    by James Knowlson

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    The Best Samuel Beckett Books - Samuel Beckett's Library by Dirk Van Hulle & Mark Nixon

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    Samuel Beckett's Library
    by Dirk Van Hulle & Mark Nixon

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    The Best Samuel Beckett Books - Watt by Samuel Beckett

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    Watt
    by Samuel Beckett

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    The Best Samuel Beckett Books - Krapp's Last Tape and Other Shorter Plays by Samuel Beckett

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    Krapp's Last Tape and Other Shorter Plays
    by Samuel Beckett

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    The Best Samuel Beckett Books - Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett

    5

    Worstward Ho
    by Samuel Beckett

The Best Samuel Beckett Books, recommended by Mark Nixon

Samuel Beckett remains one of the most significant writers of the twentieth century. Ruthlessly experimental, his plays, novels, and poems represent a sustained attack on the realist tradition. Dr Mark Nixon looks at the mutating nature of Beckett’s literary style and explains why he didn’t choose Waiting for Godot.

    The Best Music Books of 2018, recommended by Laura Snapes

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    The Best Music Books of 2018 - Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music by Ann Powers

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    Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music
    by Ann Powers

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    The Best Music Books of 2018 - The New Analog: Listening and Reconnecting in a Digital World by Damon Krukowski

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    The New Analog: Listening and Reconnecting in a Digital World
    by Damon Krukowski

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    The Best Music Books of 2018 - All in the Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape, and Song by Shirley Collins

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    All in the Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape, and Song
    by Shirley Collins

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    The Best Music Books of 2018 - Night Moves by Jessica Hopper

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    Night Moves
    by Jessica Hopper

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    The Best Music Books of 2018 - My Thoughts Exactly by Lily Allen

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    My Thoughts Exactly
    by Lily Allen

The Best Music Books of 2018, recommended by Laura Snapes

From a social history of the sexual and racial dynamics at play in American pop music to a meditation on how we consume music in the digital age, deputy music editor at The Guardian, Laura Snapes, picks the best music books of 2018.

    Best Music Books for Kids, recommended by Meurig and Rachel Bowen

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    Best Music Books for Kids - The Children's Book of Music

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    The Children's Book of Music

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    Best Music Books for Kids - The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo

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    The Mozart Question
    by Michael Morpurgo

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    Best Music Books for Kids - Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake by James Mayhew

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    Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake
    by James Mayhew

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    Best Music Books for Kids - Why Beethoven Threw The Stew by Steven Isserlis

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    Why Beethoven Threw The Stew
    by Steven Isserlis

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    Best Music Books for Kids - The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten

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    The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
    by Benjamin Britten

Best Music Books for Kids, recommended by Meurig and Rachel Bowen

Have you heard that music is good for children but don’t know where to begin? Musicians Meurig and Rachel Bowen recommend the best music books for children.

    Shakespeare’s Best Plays, recommended by Emma Smith

  • Read
    Shakespeare’s Best Plays - Macbeth by William Shakespeare

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    Macbeth
    by William Shakespeare

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    Shakespeare’s Best Plays - Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

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    Measure for Measure
    by William Shakespeare

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    Shakespeare’s Best Plays - Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

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    Twelfth Night
    by William Shakespeare

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    Shakespeare’s Best Plays - Pericles by William Shakespeare

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    Pericles
    by William Shakespeare

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    Shakespeare’s Best Plays - Richard II by William Shakespeare

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    Richard II
    by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Best Plays, recommended by Emma Smith

Shakespearean scholar Emma Smith picks her five favourite plays of the Bard, and controversially argues that not only are some of his plays just too long, but also that the most moving moments in Shakespeare’s oeuvre are where we might not expect them

    The best books on Wagner, recommended by Michael Tanner

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    The best books on Wagner - Richard Wagner: A Biography by Derek Watson

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    Richard Wagner: A Biography
    by Derek Watson

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    The best books on Wagner - The Wagner Operas by Ernest Newman

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    The Wagner Operas
    by Ernest Newman

  • Read
    The best books on Wagner - The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music by (ed.) Barry Millington

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    The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music
    by (ed.) Barry Millington

  • Read
    The best books on Wagner - Drama and the World of Richard Wagner by Dieter Borchmeyer

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    Drama and the World of Richard Wagner
    by Dieter Borchmeyer

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    The best books on Wagner - Pro and Contra Wagner by Thomas Mann

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    Pro and Contra Wagner
    by Thomas Mann

The best books on Wagner, recommended by Michael Tanner

Richard Wagner’s works are as immense as they are influential: the four-part, 15-hour saga Der Ring des Nibelungen is the most analysed opera of all time. And yet, Wagner was arrogant and virulently anti-semitic. Can we separate the musical genius from the man? Opera critic Michael Tanner recommends the best books on Wagner.

    The best books on Oscar Wilde, recommended by Sos Eltis

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    The best books on Oscar Wilde - The Soul of Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde

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    The Soul of Man Under Socialism
    by Oscar Wilde

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    The best books on Oscar Wilde - The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays by Oscar Wilde

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    The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays
    by Oscar Wilde

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    The best books on Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

    3

    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    by Oscar Wilde

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    The best books on Oscar Wilde - The Complete Short Stories by Oscar Wilde

    4

    The Complete Short Stories
    by Oscar Wilde

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    The best books on Oscar Wilde - De Profundis by Oscar Wilde

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    De Profundis
    by Oscar Wilde

The best books on Oscar Wilde, recommended by Sos Eltis

Oscar Wilde cultivated an image of himself as an idle genius, dashing off masterpieces with a lazy brilliance. But below the glittering linguistic surface of his works, suggests Sos Eltis, lies an anarchic politics and a phenomenal analysis of power.

    The best books on French Theatre, recommended by Florent Masse

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    The best books on French Theatre - Le théâtre des idées by Antoine Vitez

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    Le théâtre des idées
    by Antoine Vitez

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    The best books on French Theatre - Anthologie de L'avant-scène théâtre

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    Anthologie de L'avant-scène théâtre

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    The best books on French Theatre - Molière by Jacques Copeau

    3

    Molière
    by Jacques Copeau

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    The best books on French Theatre - Molière et la comédie classique by Louis Jouvet

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    Molière et la comédie classique
    by Louis Jouvet

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    The best books on French Theatre - Lire le théâtre by Anne Ubersfeld

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    Lire le théâtre
    by Anne Ubersfeld

The best books on French Theatre, recommended by Florent Masse

French theater is appreciated as much in reading as in performance. Princeton University’s Florent Masse offers us a reading from the point of view of teaching theater. How did the great men of theater—such as Jouvet, Copeau, or Vitez—build their learning? Discover the principles and references that guide the best directors. (You can also read this interview in the original French)

    The best books on Heavy Metal, recommended by Keith Kahn Harris

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    The best books on Heavy Metal - Running with the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music by Robert Walser

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    Running with the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music
    by Robert Walser

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    The best books on Heavy Metal - Queerness in Heavy Metal Music: Metal Bent by Amber R Clifford-Napoleone

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    Queerness in Heavy Metal Music: Metal Bent
    by Amber R Clifford-Napoleone

  • Read
    The best books on Heavy Metal - Black Sabbath's Master of Reality by John Darnielle

    3

    Black Sabbath's Master of Reality
    by John Darnielle

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    The best books on Heavy Metal - Into the Black: The Inside Story of Metallica, 1991-2014 by Ian Winwood and Paul Brannigan

    4

    Into the Black: The Inside Story of Metallica, 1991-2014
    by Ian Winwood and Paul Brannigan

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    The best books on Heavy Metal - True Norwegian Black Metal by Peter Beste

    5

    True Norwegian Black Metal
    by Peter Beste

The best books on Heavy Metal, recommended by Keith Kahn Harris

Metal music, developed in the sixties and seventies, is notorious for its dark and disturbing imagery and its aggressive sound. But there’s nothing to be afraid of, says sociologist and fan Keith Kahn-Harris: it’s all part of the mythmaking of metal.

    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays

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    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays - Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles

    1

    Oedipus at Colonus
    by Sophocles

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    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays - Richard II by William Shakespeare

    2

    Richard II
    by William Shakespeare

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    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays - The Hostage by Paul Claudel

    3

    The Hostage
    by Paul Claudel

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    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays - The Measures Taken by Bertolt Brecht

    4

    The Measures Taken
    by Bertolt Brecht

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    Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays - Not I by Samuel Beckett

    5

    Not I
    by Samuel Beckett

Slavoj Žižek on His Favourite Plays

The philosopher and cultural critic recently made a foray into drama when he reworked Sophocle’s Antigone—not out of admiration for the original, but to examine the “stupid and morally problematic” character at its heart. Here he selects five plays he admires—but declines to see performed.

    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays

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    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays - King Lear by William Shakespeare

    1

    King Lear
    by William Shakespeare

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    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays - A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

    2

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    by William Shakespeare

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    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays - The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

    3

    The Winter's Tale
    by William Shakespeare

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    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays - Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

    4

    Antony and Cleopatra
    by William Shakespeare

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    Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays - Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

    5

    Twelfth Night
    by William Shakespeare

Stanley Wells recommends the best of Shakespeare’s Plays

In our Shakespeare series, we ask experts to select their favourite plays from the Bard’s oeuvre. Here, preeminent Shakespearean scholar Sir Stanley Wells chooses five plays that best chart the evolution of the Bard of Avon during his 25-year career.

    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare

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    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare - King Lear by William Shakespeare

    1

    King Lear
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

    2

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    3

    Romeo and Juliet
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare - Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

    4

    Antony and Cleopatra
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare - Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    5

    Macbeth
    by William Shakespeare

René Weis on The Best Plays of Shakespeare

In the second of a Five Books series marking the 400th year since the world’s most popular playwright’s death, eminent Shakespearean René Weis picks his five favourite plays, and explains why King Lear will change your life.

    The best books on English Church Music, recommended by Andrew Gant

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    The best books on English Church Music - A History of Christianity by Diarmaid MacCulloch

    1

    A History of Christianity
    by Diarmaid MacCulloch

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    The best books on English Church Music - Music and the Reformation in England by Peter Le Huray

    2

    Music and the Reformation in England
    by Peter Le Huray

  • Read
    The best books on English Church Music - The Stripping of the Altars by Eamon Duffy

    3

    The Stripping of the Altars
    by Eamon Duffy

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    The best books on English Church Music - The English Carol by Erik Routley

    4

    The English Carol
    by Erik Routley

  • Read
    The best books on English Church Music - The Music of the English Parish Church by Nicholas Temperley

    5

    The Music of the English Parish Church
    by Nicholas Temperley

The best books on English Church Music, recommended by Andrew Gant

Think you’re not interested in church music? Think again. Read this interview and you’ll soon find yourself ordering some books about it too. And a Happy Christmas from your editors at Five Books.

    The best books on Popular Culture, recommended by Susan Bordo

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    The best books on Popular Culture - The Age of Movies: Selected Writings of Pauline Kael by Pauline Kael

    1

    The Age of Movies: Selected Writings of Pauline Kael
    by Pauline Kael

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    The best books on Popular Culture - Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media by Susan J. Douglas

    2

    Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media
    by Susan J. Douglas

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    The best books on Popular Culture - The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America by Daniel J. Boorstin

    3

    The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
    by Daniel J. Boorstin

  • Read
    The best books on Popular Culture - On Photography by Susan Sontag

    4

    On Photography
    by Susan Sontag

  • Read
    The best books on Popular Culture - Maus by Art Spiegelman

    5

    Maus
    by Art Spiegelman

The best books on Popular Culture, recommended by Susan Bordo

Popular culture shapes our fantasies, our expectations and our beliefs about what is real, argues Susan Bordo. She picks five books that shed light on popular culture.

    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music

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    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music - The Infinite Variety of Music by Leonard Bernstein

    1

    The Infinite Variety of Music
    by Leonard Bernstein

  • Read
    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music - The Birth of Tragedy and The Case of Wagner by Friedrich Nietzsche

    2

    The Birth of Tragedy and The Case of Wagner
    by Friedrich Nietzsche

  • Read
    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music - Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann

    3

    Doctor Faustus
    by Thomas Mann

  • Read
    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music - Silence by John Cage

    4

    Silence
    by John Cage

  • Read
    Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music - Music in a New Found Land by Wilfrid Mellers

    5

    Music in a New Found Land
    by Wilfrid Mellers

Alex Ross recommends the best Writing about Music

New Yorker music critic, Alex Ross, explains why writing about music is, really, nothing like “dancing about architecture.”

    The best books on Making Movies, recommended by Darren Aronofsky

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    The best books on Making Movies - Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

    1

    Making Movies
    by Sidney Lumet

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    The best books on Making Movies - The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

    2

    The Writer’s Journey
    by Christopher Vogler

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    The best books on Making Movies - Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind

    3

    Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
    by Peter Biskind

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    The best books on Making Movies - The Ragman’s Son by Kirk Douglas

    4

    The Ragman’s Son
    by Kirk Douglas

  • Read
    The best books on Making Movies - Hitchcock by François Truffaut

    5

    Hitchcock
    by François Truffaut

The best books on Making Movies, recommended by Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky, the Oscar-nominated director, recommends five amazing books about making movies—and talks about the filmmakers who inspired him.

    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him

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    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him - The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

    1

    The Catcher in the Rye
    by J D Salinger

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    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him - Really the Blues by Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe

    2

    Really the Blues
    by Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe

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    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him - The World of S J Perelman by S J Perelman

    3

    The World of S J Perelman
    by S J Perelman

  • Read
    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him - Epitaph of a Small Winner by Machado de Assis

    4

    Epitaph of a Small Winner
    by Machado de Assis

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    Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him - Elia Kazan by Richard Schickel

    5

    Elia Kazan
    by Richard Schickel

Woody Allen on The Books that Inspired Him

Film legend Woody Allen talks us through his favourite books, from JD Salinger to Elia Kazan.

    The best books on The Music of New Orleans, recommended by Keith Spera

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    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Ernie K-Doe by Ben Sandmel

    1

    Ernie K-Doe
    by Ben Sandmel

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    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Blue Monday by Rick Coleman

    2

    Blue Monday
    by Rick Coleman

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Louisiana Saturday Night by Alex V Cook

    3

    Louisiana Saturday Night
    by Alex V Cook

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    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Up From the Cradle of Jazz by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones

    4

    Up From the Cradle of Jazz
    by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - The Brothers by Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville and David Ritz

    5

    The Brothers
    by Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville and David Ritz

The best books on The Music of New Orleans, recommended by Keith Spera

The author of Groove Interrupted transports us to the world of Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, and tells us how (and where) to sample the city’s unique music culture

    The best books on Rock Music, recommended by Greil Marcus

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    The best books on Rock Music - Chronicles by Bob Dylan

    1

    Chronicles
    by Bob Dylan

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    The best books on Rock Music - Riders on the Storm by John Densmore

    2

    Riders on the Storm
    by John Densmore

  • Read
    The best books on Rock Music - Bye Bye Baby by Caroline Sullivan

    3

    Bye Bye Baby
    by Caroline Sullivan

  • Read
    The best books on Rock Music - You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem

    4

    You Don't Love Me Yet
    by Jonathan Lethem

  • Read
    The best books on Rock Music - Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan

    5

    Pulphead
    by John Jeremiah Sullivan

The best books on Rock Music, recommended by Greil Marcus

Time to get out your old CDs and LPs. The music journalist picks five books from Bob Dylan’s hinterland to confessions of a rock ’n roll groupie, and explains why good criticism is like writing fiction

    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books

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    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books - When the Drummers Were Women by Layne Redmond

    1

    When the Drummers Were Women
    by Layne Redmond

  • Read
    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books - Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain

    2

    Please Kill Me
    by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain

  • Read
    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books - Alternative Rock by Dave Thompson

    3

    Alternative Rock
    by Dave Thompson

  • Read
    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books - Q by Quincy Jones

    4

    Q
    by Quincy Jones

  • Read
    Santigold on her Favourite Music Books - Divided Soul by David Ritz

    5

    Divided Soul
    by David Ritz

Santigold on her Favourite Music Books

The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter took an unusual route to becoming a performer. She tells us how she got started, how to get what you want in the music business and how an extraordinary range of influences continue to inspire her

    The best books on Broadway, recommended by Charles Isherwood

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    The best books on Broadway - Act One by Moss Hart

    1

    Act One
    by Moss Hart

  • Read
    The best books on Broadway - The Season by William Goldman

    2

    The Season
    by William Goldman

  • Read
    The best books on Broadway - Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim

    3

    Finishing the Hat
    by Stephen Sondheim

  • Read
    The best books on Broadway - Not Since Carrie by Ken Mandelbaum

    4

    Not Since Carrie
    by Ken Mandelbaum

  • Read
    The best books on Broadway - Hot Seat by Frank Rich

    5

    Hot Seat
    by Frank Rich

The best books on Broadway, recommended by Charles Isherwood

What divides a hit from a flop, artistically speaking? The New York Times theatre critic takes us behind the scenes to assess the art of writing for Broadway and the rules for avoiding musical disaster

    The best books on Protest Songs, recommended by Dorian Lynskey

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    The best books on Protest Songs - Strange Fruit by David Margolick

    1

    Strange Fruit
    by David Margolick

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    The best books on Protest Songs - Woody Guthrie by Joe Klein

    2

    Woody Guthrie
    by Joe Klein

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    The best books on Protest Songs - An Unfinished Song by Joan Jara

    3

    An Unfinished Song
    by Joan Jara

  • Read
    The best books on Protest Songs - Come Together by Jon Wiener

    4

    Come Together
    by Jon Wiener

  • Read
    The best books on Protest Songs - Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang

    5

    Can't Stop Won't Stop
    by Jeff Chang

The best books on Protest Songs, recommended by Dorian Lynskey

The journalist and author tells us what happens when protest meets pop music, which book inspired Springsteen and where hip-hop is most potent today

    The best books on 20th Century Theatre, recommended by Michael Billington

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    The best books on 20th Century Theatre - My Life in Art by Constantin Stanislavski

    1

    My Life in Art
    by Constantin Stanislavski

  • Read
    The best books on 20th Century Theatre - The Empty Space by Peter Brook

    2

    The Empty Space
    by Peter Brook

  • Read
    The best books on 20th Century Theatre - The Life of the Drama by Eric Bentley

    3

    The Life of the Drama
    by Eric Bentley

  • Read
    The best books on 20th Century Theatre - Curtains by Kenneth Tynan

    4

    Curtains
    by Kenneth Tynan

  • Read
    The best books on 20th Century Theatre - Diaries by Peter Hall

    5

    Diaries
    by Peter Hall

The best books on 20th Century Theatre, recommended by Michael Billington

Britain’s most experienced theatre critic, Michael Billington, selects five essential books for understanding 20th-century drama, from the birth of method acting to the stresses of running a national theatre.

    The best books on Filmmaking, recommended by Frank Cottrell Boyce

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    The best books on Filmmaking - The Best of Satyajit Ray by Satyajit Ray

    1

    The Best of Satyajit Ray
    by Satyajit Ray

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    The best books on Filmmaking - The Empire Express by David Haward Bain

    2

    The Empire Express
    by David Haward Bain

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    The best books on Filmmaking - The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

    3

    The Thirty-Nine Steps
    by John Buchan

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    The best books on Filmmaking - Keaton by Rudi Blesh

    4

    Keaton
    by Rudi Blesh

  • Read
    The best books on Filmmaking - Karoo by Steve Tesich

    5

    Karoo
    by Steve Tesich

The best books on Filmmaking, recommended by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Filmmaking involves lots of different disciplines, says the acclaimed English screenwriter and author. And the secret of making good films is to look outward – for instance, by reading the history of railways

    The best books on Film Criticism, recommended by Andrew Sarris

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    The best books on Film Criticism - Agee on Film by James Agee

    1

    Agee on Film
    by James Agee

  • Read
    The best books on Film Criticism - The Immediate Experience by Robert Warshow, Stanley Cavell and Lionel Trilling

    2

    The Immediate Experience
    by Robert Warshow, Stanley Cavell and Lionel Trilling

  • Read
    The best books on Film Criticism - What is Cinema? Volume 1 by André Bazin

    3

    What is Cinema? Volume 1
    by André Bazin

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    The best books on Film Criticism - Negative Space by Manny Farber

    4

    Negative Space
    by Manny Farber

  • Read
    The best books on Film Criticism - The New Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomson

    5

    The New Biographical Dictionary of Film
    by David Thomson

The best books on Film Criticism, recommended by Andrew Sarris

The legendary American critic, Andrew Sarris, sounds off on auteurism, his own career and the value of the traditional film-writing canon over internet innovations such as IMDB. He picks the best books on film criticism.

    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From, recommended by Jane Root

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    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From - Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

    1

    Where Good Ideas Come From
    by Steven Johnson

  • Read
    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From - The Genius of the System by Thomas Schatz

    2

    The Genius of the System
    by Thomas Schatz

  • Read
    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From - Three Blind Mice by Ken Auletta

    3

    Three Blind Mice
    by Ken Auletta

  • Read
    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From - The Office by Ben Walters

    4

    The Office
    by Ben Walters

  • Read
    The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From - Suspects by David Thomson

    5

    Suspects
    by David Thomson

The best books on Where Good Ideas Come From, recommended by Jane Root

The former head of BBC2 reveals the two important ideas that made The Office a worldwide success, and says that most good ideas are little ones nurtured over time. Here she chooses five books that hold the key to success

    The best books on Film Noir, recommended by Barry Forshaw

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    The best books on Film Noir - The American Cinema by Andrew Sarris

    1

    The American Cinema
    by Andrew Sarris

  • Read
    The best books on Film Noir - The Rough Guide to Film Noir by Alex Ballinger and Danny Graydon

    2

    The Rough Guide to Film Noir
    by Alex Ballinger and Danny Graydon

  • Read
    The best books on Film Noir - Crime Movies by Carlos Clarens

    3

    Crime Movies
    by Carlos Clarens

  • Read
    The best books on Film Noir - 100 Film Noirs by Jim Hillier and Alastair Phillips

    4

    100 Film Noirs
    by Jim Hillier and Alastair Phillips

  • Read
    The best books on Film Noir - Film Noir by Alain Silver, James Ursini, Elizabeth Ward and Robert Porfino

    5

    Film Noir
    by Alain Silver, James Ursini, Elizabeth Ward and Robert Porfino

The best books on Film Noir, recommended by Barry Forshaw

Film writer Barry Forshaw plunges us into a world of dangerous women in ankle bracelets, flawed heroes silhouetted against a dark rain-swept street, smoky jazz scores and very unhappy endings.

    The best books on Opera, recommended by Nikola Matisic

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - La Nilsson by Birgit Nilsson

    1

    La Nilsson
    by Birgit Nilsson

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Culture and Sacrifice by Derek Hughes

    2

    Culture and Sacrifice
    by Derek Hughes

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Cinema’s Illusions, Opera’s Allure by David Schroeder

    3

    Cinema’s Illusions, Opera’s Allure
    by David Schroeder

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green with Timothy Gallwey

    4

    The Inner Game of Music
    by Barry Green with Timothy Gallwey

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - The Complete Operas of Verdi by Charles Osborne

    5

    The Complete Operas of Verdi
    by Charles Osborne

The best books on Opera, recommended by Nikola Matisic

The Scandinavian tenor argues Verdi is the greatest. Also, “the opera house in itself is an instrument. You play on the space between the audience and the stage”

    The best books on Indian Film, recommended by Brian Shoesmith

  • Read
    The best books on Indian Film - Indian Film by Erik Barnouw and S Krishnaswamy

    1

    Indian Film
    by Erik Barnouw and S Krishnaswamy

  • Read
    The best books on Indian Film - National Identity in Indian Popular Film, 1947-1987 by Sumita S Chakravarty

    2

    National Identity in Indian Popular Film, 1947-1987
    by Sumita S Chakravarty

  • Read
    The best books on Indian Film - Fearless Nadia by Dorothee Wenner

    3

    Fearless Nadia
    by Dorothee Wenner

  • Read
    The best books on Indian Film - Bollywood Cinema by Vijay Mishra

    4

    Bollywood Cinema
    by Vijay Mishra

  • Read
    The best books on Indian Film - Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (Revised Second Edition) by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen

    5

    Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (Revised Second Edition)
    by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen

The best books on Indian Film, recommended by Brian Shoesmith

Professor Brian Shoesmith chooses five books that celebrate the lavish history of the Indian film industry. He maintains that Bollywood has become a global brand — in Perth, you can even take classes in Bollywood dance.

    The best books on Classical Music, recommended by Igor Toronyi-Lalic

  • Read
    The best books on Classical Music - Shaw’s Music by edited by Dan H Laurence & George Bernard Shaw

    1

    Shaw’s Music
    by edited by Dan H Laurence & George Bernard Shaw

  • Read
    The best books on Classical Music - The Essential Bach Choir by Andrew Parrott

    2

    The Essential Bach Choir
    by Andrew Parrott

  • Read
    The best books on Classical Music - The Maestro Myth by Norman Lebrecht

    3

    The Maestro Myth
    by Norman Lebrecht

  • Read
    The best books on Classical Music - The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross

    4

    The Rest is Noise
    by Alex Ross

  • Read
    The best books on Classical Music - A-Z of Pianists by Jonathan Summers

    5

    A-Z of Pianists
    by Jonathan Summers

The best books on Classical Music, recommended by Igor Toronyi-Lalic

‘They don’t actually want to know anything, other than that this is a holy great art form beyond any other, that creates these über-geniuses who have no flaws and can do no wrong.’

    The best books on The Ethnography of Music, recommended by Phillip Vannini

  • Read
    The best books on The Ethnography of Music - Music in Everyday Life by Tia DeNora

    1

    Music in Everyday Life
    by Tia DeNora

  • Read
    The best books on The Ethnography of Music - Sound Moves by Michael Bull

    2

    Sound Moves
    by Michael Bull

  • Read
    The best books on The Ethnography of Music - Club Cultures by Sarah Thornton

    3

    Club Cultures
    by Sarah Thornton

  • Read
    The best books on The Ethnography of Music - Music Scenes by Andy Bennett and Richard A Peterson

    4

    Music Scenes
    by Andy Bennett and Richard A Peterson

  • Read
    The best books on The Ethnography of Music - Inside Subculture by David Muggleton

    5

    Inside Subculture
    by David Muggleton

The best books on The Ethnography of Music, recommended by Phillip Vannini

The Professor of Communication and Culture enlightens us about musical enthnography — what people do with music, and how they interact with music (and with one another)

    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity, recommended by Fred Inglis

  • Read
    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity - Local Knowledge by Clifford Geertz

    1

    Local Knowledge
    by Clifford Geertz

  • Read
    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity - Pleasures of the Imagination by John Brewer

    2

    Pleasures of the Imagination
    by John Brewer

  • Read
    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity - The Painting of Modern Life by T J Clark

    3

    The Painting of Modern Life
    by T J Clark

  • Read
    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity - Sources of the Self by Charles Taylor

    4

    Sources of the Self
    by Charles Taylor

  • Read
    The best books on The Cult of Celebrity - Finders Keepers by Seamus Heaney

    5

    Finders Keepers
    by Seamus Heaney

The best books on The Cult of Celebrity, recommended by Fred Inglis

Fred Inglis, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Sheffield, selects five books to help us understand the cult of celebrity, which is, as he puts it, “the public dramatisation of our best and worst feelings”.

    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers, recommended by Giles Swayne

  • Read
    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers - Harmony And Discord by Julian Shuckburgh

    1

    Harmony And Discord
    by Julian Shuckburgh

  • Read
    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers - The Letters of Mozart and His Family by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    2

    The Letters of Mozart and His Family
    by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

  • Read
    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers - The Letters of Beethoven by Ludwig van Beethoven Translated by Emily Anderson

    3

    The Letters of Beethoven
    by Ludwig van Beethoven Translated by Emily Anderson

  • Read
    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers - Conversations with Igor Stravinsky by Robert Craft

    4

    Conversations with Igor Stravinsky
    by Robert Craft

  • Read
    The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers - Stravinsky by Stephen Walsh

    5

    Stravinsky
    by Stephen Walsh

The best books on The Lives of Classical Composers, recommended by Giles Swayne

From Bach to Stravinsky, British composer Giles Swayne discusses the most insightful books for getting to know the real lives of classical composers. “You can have people who are really extremely mediocre with huge careers, and people who are wonderfully good but don’t have wonderful careers. Bach was one of those.”

    The best books on Screenwriting, recommended by Richard Walter

  • Read
    The best books on Screenwriting - Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 by Lew Hunter

    1

    Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434
    by Lew Hunter

  • Read
    The best books on Screenwriting - Write Screenplays That Sell by Hal Ackerman

    2

    Write Screenplays That Sell
    by Hal Ackerman

  • Read
    The best books on Screenwriting - Poetics by Aristotle

    3

    Poetics
    by Aristotle

  • Read
    The best books on Screenwriting - Plots and Characters by Millard Kaufman

    4

    Plots and Characters
    by Millard Kaufman

  • Read
    The best books on Screenwriting - Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters by Michael Tierno

    5

    Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters
    by Michael Tierno

The best books on Screenwriting, recommended by Richard Walter

The Hollywood screenwriting guru picks the best five books on writing a blockbusting screenplay. Aristotle knew what he was doing. It’s all about the story. Less is more. One word is better than lots of words. Simple really.

    The best books on Film Directing, recommended by Mat Whitecross

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    The best books on Film Directing - Sex & Drugs & Rock’n’Roll by Richard Balls

    1

    Sex & Drugs & Rock’n’Roll
    by Richard Balls

  • Read
    The best books on Film Directing - The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

    2

    The Shock Doctrine
    by Naomi Klein

  • Read
    The best books on Film Directing - Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez

    3

    Rebel Without a Crew
    by Robert Rodriguez

  • Read
    The best books on Film Directing - This is Orson Welles by Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich

    4

    This is Orson Welles
    by Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich

  • Read
    The best books on Film Directing - Hitchcock by François Truffaut

    5

    Hitchcock
    by François Truffaut

The best books on Film Directing, recommended by Mat Whitecross

The young film director of Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (about the troubled but brilliant British rock star Ian Dury) talks about the books that inspire his films.

    The best books on Russian Cinema, recommended by Ian Christie

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Kino by Jay Leyda

    1

    Kino
    by Jay Leyda

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    The best books on Russian Cinema - Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception by Yuri Tsivian

    2

    Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception
    by Yuri Tsivian

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Sergei Eisenstein by Oksana Bulgakowa

    3

    Sergei Eisenstein
    by Oksana Bulgakowa

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Ivan the Terrible by Yuri Tsivian

    4

    Ivan the Terrible
    by Yuri Tsivian

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry by Maja Turovskaja

    5

    Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry
    by Maja Turovskaja

The best books on Russian Cinema, recommended by Ian Christie

From Eisenstein to Tarkovsky, film scholar Ian Christie looks at the titans of Russian cinema and draws attention to the pre-Revolutionary Siberian gold merchant’s daughter who opened a cinema purely for the upper classes.

    The best books on Puppeteering, recommended by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler

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    The best books on Puppeteering - Skin Lane by Neil Bartlett

    1

    Skin Lane
    by Neil Bartlett

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    The best books on Puppeteering - Biological Exuberance by Bruce Bagemihl

    2

    Biological Exuberance
    by Bruce Bagemihl

  • Read
    The best books on Puppeteering - Glove and Rod Puppets by Hansjürgen Fettig

    3

    Glove and Rod Puppets
    by Hansjürgen Fettig

  • Read
    The best books on Puppeteering - The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

    4

    The Magic Faraway Tree
    by Enid Blyton

  • Read
    The best books on Puppeteering - African Scenery and Animals by Samuel Daniell

    5

    African Scenery and Animals
    by Samuel Daniell

The best books on Puppeteering, recommended by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler

Founders of the Handspring Puppet Company pick their favourite five books on puppeteering. Enid Blyton and African Scenery and Animals both make the cut, as does same-sex behaviour in the natural world

    The best books on Hollywood, recommended by Marina Hyde

  • Read
    The best books on Hollywood - An Empire of Their Own – How the Jews Invented Hollywood by Neal Gabler

    1

    An Empire of Their Own – How the Jews Invented Hollywood
    by Neal Gabler

  • Read
    The best books on Hollywood - The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    2

    The Last Tycoon
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Read
    The best books on Hollywood - What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg

    3

    What Makes Sammy Run?
    by Budd Schulberg

  • Read
    The best books on Hollywood - The Genius of the System by Thomas Schatz

    4

    The Genius of the System
    by Thomas Schatz

  • Read
    The best books on Hollywood - Final Cut – Dreams and Disaster in the Making of Heaven’s Gate by Steven Bach

    5

    Final Cut – Dreams and Disaster in the Making of Heaven’s Gate
    by Steven Bach

The best books on Hollywood, recommended by Marina Hyde

‘Smart people went to the ballet and opera, and what the poor and lower middle classes did with their time didn’t matter. But these men in Hollywood had a vision and were creating this product that was loved by everybody of all different backgrounds.’

    The best books on British Cinema, recommended by Brian McFarlane

  • Read
    The best books on British Cinema - Realism and Tinsel by Robert Murphy

    1

    Realism and Tinsel
    by Robert Murphy

  • Read
    The best books on British Cinema - Ealing Studios by Charles Barr

    2

    Ealing Studios
    by Charles Barr

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    The best books on British Cinema - David Lean by Kevin Brownlow

    3

    David Lean
    by Kevin Brownlow

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    The best books on British Cinema - The Finest Years by Charles Drazin

    4

    The Finest Years
    by Charles Drazin

  • Read
    The best books on British Cinema - Typical Men by Andrew Spicer

    5

    Typical Men
    by Andrew Spicer

The best books on British Cinema, recommended by Brian McFarlane

The editor of the Encyclopaedia of British Film talks about Britain’s cinematic offerings. ‘I love Brief Encounter – I cry from the moment Celia Johnson speaks until the credits come up at the end.’

    The best books on Opera, recommended by Robert Lloyd

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Italian Opera by David Kimbell

    1

    Italian Opera
    by David Kimbell

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Wagner and Philosophy by Bryan Magee

    2

    Wagner and Philosophy
    by Bryan Magee

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Crochets and Quavers by Max Maretzek

    3

    Crochets and Quavers
    by Max Maretzek

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Preparing an Operatic Role by Marie Myerscough and Sir Colin Davis

    4

    Preparing an Operatic Role
    by Marie Myerscough and Sir Colin Davis

  • Read
    The best books on Opera - Interpretation in Song by Harry Plunket Greene

    5

    Interpretation in Song
    by Harry Plunket Greene

The best books on Opera, recommended by Robert Lloyd

The opera singer says most people of his age feel that the quality of singing has given way to the providing of a dramatic spectacle. His book selection spans Italian opera and revelations of an opera manager

    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français, recommended by Florent Masse

  • Read
    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français - Le théâtre des idées by Antoine Vitez

    1

    Le théâtre des idées
    by Antoine Vitez

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    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français - Anthologie de L'avant-scène théâtre

    2

    Anthologie de L'avant-scène théâtre

  • Read
    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français - Molière by Jacques Copeau

    3

    Molière
    by Jacques Copeau

  • Read
    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français - Molière et la comédie classique by Louis Jouvet

    4

    Molière et la comédie classique
    by Louis Jouvet

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    Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français - Lire le théâtre by Anne Ubersfeld

    5

    Lire le théâtre
    by Anne Ubersfeld

Les meilleurs livres sur le théâtre français, recommended by Florent Masse

Le théâtre français s’apprécie autant à la lecture qu’à la représentation. Florent Masse, professeur de théâtre français à Princeton, nous propose une lecture du point de vue de l’enseignement du théâtre. Comment les grands hommes de théâtre—tels Jouvet, Copeau, ou Vitez—ont-ils construit leur apprentissage? À vous de découvrir les principes et références qui guident les meilleurs metteurs en scène. 

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