THE REAL PATH TO BRAIN HEALTH--BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN SCIENCE

Let's face it: you want to keep your brain in great shape. But But how do you sift through the clutter of information and media coverage in order to find the facts?

The Brain Bible

One of today's leading experts on brain health, Dr. John Arden tells it straight: There is no single remedy for maintaining sharpmindedness into old age. But there are a lot of things you can do that, over the course of time, will work wonders. It's not about adding one activity or breaking one habit--it's about making many small, simple changes in your everyday routine.

Dr. Arden culls the latest findings in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, gerontology, and many other sciences and puts them all together into a smart, actionable, science-based plan. Basing his conclusions on cutting-edge research, Dr. Arden has broken down the vast amount of confusing and sometimes conflicting brain data into the five crucial Brain Bible factors you need to be mindful of:

Education - Read and keep your brain activeDiet - What you eat and drink directly affects your brain health Exercise - Starting a fitness routine is simpler than you think Relationships - The love of friends and family has a strong healing power Sleep - Get enough but not too much sleep

Here are just a few samples of Dr. Arden's tips for improving your brain health:

Drink water even when you're not thirsty Take the stairs instead of the elevator Laugh a lot Don't drink alcohol before going to bed Eat fish at least twice a week

If you want to keep your brain sharp--and who doesn't?--The Brain Bible is packed with the simple lifestyle changes you will want to make. After exploring the five Brain Bible factors, Dr. Arden shares indispensable advice on how to lower your everyday stress level. Then he provides the 7-Day Brain Bible Jumpstart Plan you can use to start changing your lifestyle and improving your brain today.

The Brain Bible can help make your brain--and your life--better than ever.

PRAISE FOR THE BRAIN BIBLE:

"Successful aging just doesn't happen--it takes knowledge, wisdom, and action. Read this book and let Dr. John Arden take you on a fascinating and very human journey through the science and steps to healthy aging." -- Louis Cozolino, PhD, Pepperdine University, author of The Neuroscience of Human Relationships and The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy

"In The Brain Bible, Dr. John Arden provides an uplifting read.... This book is as scientifically rigorous as it is lively and accessible, and it is peppered with fascinating stories about real people and the things they do or do not do that affect their health and longevity. Building on the latest biomedical and psychosocial research, Arden beautifully describes the lifestyle factors we can control that have enormous effects on the length and quality of our lives. This is a must-read." -- Ian H. Robertson, PhD, Trinity College, author of The Winner Effect

"This book translates the latest developments from the abstruse world of the neurological sciences into accessible, real-world guidance for those who are sharp enough to choose to remain sharp. Essential reading." -- John Soderlund, counseling psychologist and publishing editor, New Therapist

"If you want to redefine the aging process so you can be what you want to be instead of what you have observed, read this book to have ample guidance for healthy longevity." -- Charlotte A. Tomaino, PhD, author of Awakening the Brain

THE REAL PATH TO BRAIN HEALTH--BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN SCIENCE

Let''s face it: you want to keep your brain in great shape. But But how do you sift through the clutter of information and media coverage in order to find the facts?

The Brain Bible

One of today''s leading experts on brain health, Dr. John Arden tells it straight: There is no single remedy for maintaining sharpmindedness into old age. But there are a lot of things you can do that, over the course of time, will work wonders. It''s not about adding one activity or breaking one habit--it''s about making many small, simple changes in your everyday routine.

Dr. Arden culls the latest findings in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, gerontology, and many other sciences and puts them all together into a smart, actionable, science-based plan. Basing his conclusions on cutting-edge research, Dr. Arden has broken down the vast amount of confusing and sometimes conflicting brain data into the five crucial Brain Bible factors you need to be mindful of:

Education - Read and keep your brain activeDiet - What you eat and drink directly affects your brain healthExercise - Starting a fitness routine is simpler than you thinkRelationships - The love of friends and family has a strong healing powerSleep - Get enough but not too much sleep

Here are just a few samples of Dr. Arden''s tips for improving your brain health:

Drink water even when you''re not thirstyTake the stairs instead of the elevatorLaugh a lotDon''t drink alcohol before going to bedEat fish at least twice a week

If you want to keep your brain sharp--and who doesn''t?--The Brain Bible is packed with the simple lifestyle changes you will want to make. After exploring the five Brain Bible factors, Dr. Arden shares indispensable advice on how to lower your everyday stress level. Then he provides the 7-Day Brain Bible Jumpstart Plan you can use to start changing your lifestyle and improving your brain today.

The Brain Bible can help make your brain--and your life--better than ever.

PRAISE FOR THE BRAIN BIBLE:

"Successful aging just doesn''t happen--it takes knowledge, wisdom, and action. Read this book and let Dr. John Arden take you on a fascinating and very human journey through the science and steps to healthy aging." -- Louis Cozolino, PhD, Pepperdine University, author of The Neuroscience of Human Relationships and The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy

"In The Brain Bible, Dr. John Arden provides an uplifting read.... This book is as scientifically rigorous as it is lively and accessible, and it is peppered with fascinating stories about real people and the things they do or do not do that affect their health and longevity. Building on the latest biomedical and psychosocial research, Arden beautifully describes the lifestyle factors we can control that have enormous effects on the length and quality of our lives. This is a must-read." -- Ian H. Robertson, PhD, Trinity College, author of The Winner Effect

"This book translates the latest developments from the abstruse world of the neurological sciences into accessible, real-world guidance for those who are sharp enough to choose to remain sharp. Essential reading." -- John Soderlund, counseling psychologist and publishing editor, New Therapist

"If you want to redefine the aging process so you can be what you want to be instead of what you have observed, read this book to have ample guidance for healthy longevity." -- Charlotte A. Tomaino, PhD, author of Awakening the Brain

The evolution of psychotherapy in the 21st Century demands integration. Instead of choosing from the blizzard of modalities and schools of the past, therapists must move towards finding common denominators amongst them. Similarly, today’s psychotherapy necessitates the integration of the mind and body, not the past practice of compartmentalisation of mental health and physical health.This book contributes to the sea change in how we conceptualise mental health problems and their solutions. Mind-Brain-Gene describes the feedback loops between the multiple systems contributing to the emergence of the mind and the experience of the self. It explains how our mental operating networks “self”-organise, drawing from and modifying our memory systems to establish and maintain mental health.Synthesising research in psychoneuroimmunology and epigenetics with interpersonal neurobiology and research on integrated psychotherapeutic approaches, John Arden explores how insecure attachment, deprivation, child abuse and trauma contribute to anxiety disorders and depression to produce epigenetic affects. To help people suffering from anxiety and depression, it is necessary to make sense of the multidirectional feedback loops between the stress systems and the dysregulation of the immune system that lead to those conditions.Successful psychotherapy modifies the feedback loops among the self-maintenance systems. Through the orchestration of the mental operating networks, psychotherapy promotes the re-regulation of:Immune system functionsStress systemsNutritionMicrobiome (gut bacteria)SleepPhysical inactivityAffect regulationCognitionThis book makes a strong case for healthcare and psychotherapy to be combined—together they can revolutionise the way we conceive of, and attain, optimal health in the 21st Century.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden's play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war. Serjeant Musgrave's Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author's life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the Sixties The Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children's games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur's Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D'Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people's lives." This first volume of Arden's dramatic work contains plays from the late fifties including The Waters of Babylon about political chancer Charles Butterthwaite at large in London; the one act industrial episode When is a Door not a Door; The Happy Haven, a comedy inspired by the painter Cranach about old age and rejuvenation; Live Like Pigs; "an amazing and lyrical play, beautifully poised between farce and tragedy" Michael Coveney and Serjeant Musgrave's Dance; "a spell-binding, mind-challenging drama that touches greatness" Michael Billington."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He wrote on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people's lives." This second volume of John Arden's plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong's Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden's own life. "Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

Five outstanding plays from the British theatre of the 1960s. This volume contains major works by five of the most important playwrights ot emerge during the late fifties and early sixties. Bold, challenging and iconoclastic, these plays are landmarks of post-war British theatre. Roots by Arnold Wesker focuses on the homecoming of young Beatie Bryant who returns to her family of Norfolk farm workers with stories of her boyfriend Ronnie. Serjeant Musgrave's Dance by John Arden is set in a mining town in the 19th century, with a group of soldiers returned from a colonial war. But when Musgrave is asked to keep the peace with the colliery workers, he decides to do so in a rather unusual way. Loot by Joe Orton is a brilliant parody of the skeleton-in-the-cupboard crime genre, exploding the very notions of English decency, good citizenry and traditional 'positions'. Edward Bond's Early Morning re-imagines the time of Victoria and Albert caught up in a military coup plotted by Disraeli.Peter Barnes' Ruling Class describes the fall out in an aristocratic family after the 14th Earl commits suicide and leaves his estate to a schizophrenic Franciscan friar who is under the illusion that he is Jesus.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people''s lives."This second volume of John Arden''s plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong''s Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden''s own life."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

''The modern English theatre has had its poets and it has had its dramatists but in John Arden it has acquired its first dramatic poet since - well, let''s be rash - the days of Shakespeare.'' - Sunday Times.The Waters of Babylon: ''This wild, acidly funny and oddly tragic story of London low-life... reveals Arden''s tough linguistic freedom and the free-wheeling ease with which he switches from prose to verse and back again'' Sunday TimesLive Like Pigs: ''Thrilling theatre... a rumbustious delight, outrageously funny, powerfully dramatic and, when you least expect it, genuinely moving... a modern classic'' Daily TelegraphThe Happy Haven (written with Margaretta D''Arcy): ''This rare and excellent revival perfectly reflects the play''s bizarre atmosphere, its potent mixture of farcical prose, rhymed poetry, its marked avoidance of schematic moral codes'' Time OutSerjeant Musgrave''s Dance: ''A modern classic... a white-hot piece of work... Since its first appearance in 1959, the play has advanced towards us as if in a slow prophetic march'' The TimesAlso included in the volume is When is a Door not a Door?, a one-act ''industrial episode''.

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D''Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the SixtiesThe Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children''s games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur''s Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D''Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

''The modern English theatre has had its poets and it has had its dramatists but in John Arden it has acquired its first dramatic poet since - well, let''s be rash - the days of Shakespeare.'' - Sunday Times.The Waters of Babylon: ''This wild, acidly funny and oddly tragic story of London low-life... reveals Arden''s tough linguistic freedom and the free-wheeling ease with which he switches from prose to verse and back again'' Sunday TimesLive Like Pigs: ''Thrilling theatre... a rumbustious delight, outrageously funny, powerfully dramatic and, when you least expect it, genuinely moving... a modern classic'' Daily TelegraphThe Happy Haven (written with Margaretta D''Arcy): ''This rare and excellent revival perfectly reflects the play''s bizarre atmosphere, its potent mixture of farcical prose, rhymed poetry, its marked avoidance of schematic moral codes'' Time OutSerjeant Musgrave''s Dance: ''A modern classic... a white-hot piece of work... Since its first appearance in 1959, the play has advanced towards us as if in a slow prophetic march'' The TimesAlso included in the volume is When is a Door not a Door?, a one-act ''industrial episode''.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people''s lives."This second volume of John Arden''s plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong''s Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden''s own life."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D''Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the SixtiesThe Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children''s games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur''s Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D''Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden''s play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war.Serjeant Musgrave''s Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author''s life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden''s play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war.Serjeant Musgrave''s Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author''s life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.

THE REAL PATH TO BRAIN HEALTH--BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN SCIENCE

Let's face it: you want to keep your brain in great shape. But But how do you sift through the clutter of information and media coverage in order to find the facts?

The Brain Bible

One of today's leading experts on brain health, Dr. John Arden tells it straight: There is no single remedy for maintaining sharpmindedness into old age. But there are a lot of things you can do that, over the course of time, will work wonders. It's not about adding one activity or breaking one habit--it's about making many small, simple changes in your everyday routine.

Dr. Arden culls the latest findings in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, gerontology, and many other sciences and puts them all together into a smart, actionable, science-based plan. Basing his conclusions on cutting-edge research, Dr. Arden has broken down the vast amount of confusing and sometimes conflicting brain data into the five crucial Brain Bible factors you need to be mindful of:

Education - Read and keep your brain activeDiet - What you eat and drink directly affects your brain health Exercise - Starting a fitness routine is simpler than you think Relationships - The love of friends and family has a strong healing power Sleep - Get enough but not too much sleep

Here are just a few samples of Dr. Arden's tips for improving your brain health:

Drink water even when you're not thirsty Take the stairs instead of the elevator Laugh a lot Don't drink alcohol before going to bed Eat fish at least twice a week

If you want to keep your brain sharp--and who doesn't?--The Brain Bible is packed with the simple lifestyle changes you will want to make. After exploring the five Brain Bible factors, Dr. Arden shares indispensable advice on how to lower your everyday stress level. Then he provides the 7-Day Brain Bible Jumpstart Plan you can use to start changing your lifestyle and improving your brain today.

The Brain Bible can help make your brain--and your life--better than ever.

PRAISE FOR THE BRAIN BIBLE:

"Successful aging just doesn't happen--it takes knowledge, wisdom, and action. Read this book and let Dr. John Arden take you on a fascinating and very human journey through the science and steps to healthy aging." -- Louis Cozolino, PhD, Pepperdine University, author of The Neuroscience of Human Relationships and The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy

"In The Brain Bible, Dr. John Arden provides an uplifting read.... This book is as scientifically rigorous as it is lively and accessible, and it is peppered with fascinating stories about real people and the things they do or do not do that affect their health and longevity. Building on the latest biomedical and psychosocial research, Arden beautifully describes the lifestyle factors we can control that have enormous effects on the length and quality of our lives. This is a must-read." -- Ian H. Robertson, PhD, Trinity College, author of The Winner Effect

"This book translates the latest developments from the abstruse world of the neurological sciences into accessible, real-world guidance for those who are sharp enough to choose to remain sharp. Essential reading." -- John Soderlund, counseling psychologist and publishing editor, New Therapist

"If you want to redefine the aging process so you can be what you want to be instead of what you have observed, read this book to have ample guidance for healthy longevity." -- Charlotte A. Tomaino, PhD, author of Awakening the Brain

THE REAL PATH TO BRAIN HEALTH--BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN SCIENCE

Let''s face it: you want to keep your brain in great shape. But But how do you sift through the clutter of information and media coverage in order to find the facts?

The Brain Bible

One of today''s leading experts on brain health, Dr. John Arden tells it straight: There is no single remedy for maintaining sharpmindedness into old age. But there are a lot of things you can do that, over the course of time, will work wonders. It''s not about adding one activity or breaking one habit--it''s about making many small, simple changes in your everyday routine.

Dr. Arden culls the latest findings in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, gerontology, and many other sciences and puts them all together into a smart, actionable, science-based plan. Basing his conclusions on cutting-edge research, Dr. Arden has broken down the vast amount of confusing and sometimes conflicting brain data into the five crucial Brain Bible factors you need to be mindful of:

Education - Read and keep your brain activeDiet - What you eat and drink directly affects your brain healthExercise - Starting a fitness routine is simpler than you thinkRelationships - The love of friends and family has a strong healing powerSleep - Get enough but not too much sleep

Here are just a few samples of Dr. Arden''s tips for improving your brain health:

Drink water even when you''re not thirstyTake the stairs instead of the elevatorLaugh a lotDon''t drink alcohol before going to bedEat fish at least twice a week

If you want to keep your brain sharp--and who doesn''t?--The Brain Bible is packed with the simple lifestyle changes you will want to make. After exploring the five Brain Bible factors, Dr. Arden shares indispensable advice on how to lower your everyday stress level. Then he provides the 7-Day Brain Bible Jumpstart Plan you can use to start changing your lifestyle and improving your brain today.

The Brain Bible can help make your brain--and your life--better than ever.

PRAISE FOR THE BRAIN BIBLE:

"Successful aging just doesn''t happen--it takes knowledge, wisdom, and action. Read this book and let Dr. John Arden take you on a fascinating and very human journey through the science and steps to healthy aging." -- Louis Cozolino, PhD, Pepperdine University, author of The Neuroscience of Human Relationships and The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy

"In The Brain Bible, Dr. John Arden provides an uplifting read.... This book is as scientifically rigorous as it is lively and accessible, and it is peppered with fascinating stories about real people and the things they do or do not do that affect their health and longevity. Building on the latest biomedical and psychosocial research, Arden beautifully describes the lifestyle factors we can control that have enormous effects on the length and quality of our lives. This is a must-read." -- Ian H. Robertson, PhD, Trinity College, author of The Winner Effect

"This book translates the latest developments from the abstruse world of the neurological sciences into accessible, real-world guidance for those who are sharp enough to choose to remain sharp. Essential reading." -- John Soderlund, counseling psychologist and publishing editor, New Therapist

"If you want to redefine the aging process so you can be what you want to be instead of what you have observed, read this book to have ample guidance for healthy longevity." -- Charlotte A. Tomaino, PhD, author of Awakening the Brain

The evolution of psychotherapy in the 21st Century demands integration. Instead of choosing from the blizzard of modalities and schools of the past, therapists must move towards finding common denominators amongst them. Similarly, today’s psychotherapy necessitates the integration of the mind and body, not the past practice of compartmentalisation of mental health and physical health.This book contributes to the sea change in how we conceptualise mental health problems and their solutions. Mind-Brain-Gene describes the feedback loops between the multiple systems contributing to the emergence of the mind and the experience of the self. It explains how our mental operating networks “self”-organise, drawing from and modifying our memory systems to establish and maintain mental health.Synthesising research in psychoneuroimmunology and epigenetics with interpersonal neurobiology and research on integrated psychotherapeutic approaches, John Arden explores how insecure attachment, deprivation, child abuse and trauma contribute to anxiety disorders and depression to produce epigenetic affects. To help people suffering from anxiety and depression, it is necessary to make sense of the multidirectional feedback loops between the stress systems and the dysregulation of the immune system that lead to those conditions.Successful psychotherapy modifies the feedback loops among the self-maintenance systems. Through the orchestration of the mental operating networks, psychotherapy promotes the re-regulation of:Immune system functionsStress systemsNutritionMicrobiome (gut bacteria)SleepPhysical inactivityAffect regulationCognitionThis book makes a strong case for healthcare and psychotherapy to be combined—together they can revolutionise the way we conceive of, and attain, optimal health in the 21st Century.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden's play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war. Serjeant Musgrave's Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author's life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the Sixties The Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children's games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur's Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D'Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people's lives." This first volume of Arden's dramatic work contains plays from the late fifties including The Waters of Babylon about political chancer Charles Butterthwaite at large in London; the one act industrial episode When is a Door not a Door; The Happy Haven, a comedy inspired by the painter Cranach about old age and rejuvenation; Live Like Pigs; "an amazing and lyrical play, beautifully poised between farce and tragedy" Michael Coveney and Serjeant Musgrave's Dance; "a spell-binding, mind-challenging drama that touches greatness" Michael Billington."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He wrote on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people's lives." This second volume of John Arden's plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong's Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden's own life. "Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

Five outstanding plays from the British theatre of the 1960s. This volume contains major works by five of the most important playwrights ot emerge during the late fifties and early sixties. Bold, challenging and iconoclastic, these plays are landmarks of post-war British theatre. Roots by Arnold Wesker focuses on the homecoming of young Beatie Bryant who returns to her family of Norfolk farm workers with stories of her boyfriend Ronnie. Serjeant Musgrave's Dance by John Arden is set in a mining town in the 19th century, with a group of soldiers returned from a colonial war. But when Musgrave is asked to keep the peace with the colliery workers, he decides to do so in a rather unusual way. Loot by Joe Orton is a brilliant parody of the skeleton-in-the-cupboard crime genre, exploding the very notions of English decency, good citizenry and traditional 'positions'. Edward Bond's Early Morning re-imagines the time of Victoria and Albert caught up in a military coup plotted by Disraeli.Peter Barnes' Ruling Class describes the fall out in an aristocratic family after the 14th Earl commits suicide and leaves his estate to a schizophrenic Franciscan friar who is under the illusion that he is Jesus.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people''s lives."This second volume of John Arden''s plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong''s Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden''s own life."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

''The modern English theatre has had its poets and it has had its dramatists but in John Arden it has acquired its first dramatic poet since - well, let''s be rash - the days of Shakespeare.'' - Sunday Times.The Waters of Babylon: ''This wild, acidly funny and oddly tragic story of London low-life... reveals Arden''s tough linguistic freedom and the free-wheeling ease with which he switches from prose to verse and back again'' Sunday TimesLive Like Pigs: ''Thrilling theatre... a rumbustious delight, outrageously funny, powerfully dramatic and, when you least expect it, genuinely moving... a modern classic'' Daily TelegraphThe Happy Haven (written with Margaretta D''Arcy): ''This rare and excellent revival perfectly reflects the play''s bizarre atmosphere, its potent mixture of farcical prose, rhymed poetry, its marked avoidance of schematic moral codes'' Time OutSerjeant Musgrave''s Dance: ''A modern classic... a white-hot piece of work... Since its first appearance in 1959, the play has advanced towards us as if in a slow prophetic march'' The TimesAlso included in the volume is When is a Door not a Door?, a one-act ''industrial episode''.

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D''Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the SixtiesThe Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children''s games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur''s Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D''Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

''The modern English theatre has had its poets and it has had its dramatists but in John Arden it has acquired its first dramatic poet since - well, let''s be rash - the days of Shakespeare.'' - Sunday Times.The Waters of Babylon: ''This wild, acidly funny and oddly tragic story of London low-life... reveals Arden''s tough linguistic freedom and the free-wheeling ease with which he switches from prose to verse and back again'' Sunday TimesLive Like Pigs: ''Thrilling theatre... a rumbustious delight, outrageously funny, powerfully dramatic and, when you least expect it, genuinely moving... a modern classic'' Daily TelegraphThe Happy Haven (written with Margaretta D''Arcy): ''This rare and excellent revival perfectly reflects the play''s bizarre atmosphere, its potent mixture of farcical prose, rhymed poetry, its marked avoidance of schematic moral codes'' Time OutSerjeant Musgrave''s Dance: ''A modern classic... a white-hot piece of work... Since its first appearance in 1959, the play has advanced towards us as if in a slow prophetic march'' The TimesAlso included in the volume is When is a Door not a Door?, a one-act ''industrial episode''.

"Arden is to me a writer a bit like Shakespeare in approach, in that the writing not only has to convey...the dialogue of characters speaking together, but also has to carry the sense of the social environment and the texture of people''s lives."This second volume of John Arden''s plays includes works from the 1960s. Armstrong''s Last Goodnight, although set in 16th century Scotland, sheds new light on the experience of conscript soldiers at the tail end of colonialism in the 1960s; The Workhouse Donkey presents "not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of a living community; it also has the moral uncertainty of life itself" (Michael Billington The Guardian). Left-handed Liberty anatomises the disintegration of the feudal system under King John; while The True History of Squire Jonathan and his Unfortunate Treasure and the radio play The Bagman are based on real incidents, personal and political in Arden''s own life."Arden is a giant of modern playwriting. He writes on an epic scale that few have attained since, the plays tumble into action, and with vivid human response." (Dominic Dromgoole)

This collection brings together some of the best and most frequently performed plays by John Arden and Margaretta D''Arcy whose collaboration stems from the political years of the SixtiesThe Business of Good Government is a nativity play which develops a sense of a disappearing community; Ars Longa Vita Brevis is composed out of children''s games and The Royal Pardon tells the story of the adventures of a group of strolling players who fall in with a deserter from the war in Flanders. Other plays in this collection such as Little Gray Home in the West and The Vandaleur''s Folly arise from the highly charged political arena of the 1970s in Ireland.Arden and D''Arcy have been consistently interested in using drama to extend the very boundaries of national identity and human freedom.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden''s play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war.Serjeant Musgrave''s Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author''s life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.

Set between 1860 and 1880, four deserters bring the body of a dead soldier back to his home town, a mining community in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by snow. Their leader, Serjeant Musgrave, plans to hold the town at gunpoint and confront its people with the realities of warfare. Arden''s play questions the military principle of "Obey or suffer" and the cruelty and futility of war.Serjeant Musgrave''s Dance was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1959.This volume contains expert notes on the author''s life and work, historical and political background to the play and a glossary of difficult words and phrases.