This is an extensively revised version of the list which has been on this site since waaaay back when (1997? 1998?). I have checked availability of these books against Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. I don't pretend this to be an exhaustive list, and there may be errors though I have tried to be as accurate as possible; it is simply a personal list of what I consider to be the most "important" or interesting books on Gilbert. UK or US at the beginning of an entry indicates that the book is in print in that country; this is a guide and should not be taken as definitive. A number of out-of-print books have been included (marked OOP) because they are too important to be ignored. But please note that a book which is nominally "out-of-print" may still be readily available on the Net. Isn't technology wonderful?
The list is in three sections:
Recent
Books of Gilbertian Interest brings together a number of important books
from the past five years, which did not appear on the previous version of this
list.
Books by Gilbert is self-explanatory.
So is Books About
Gilbert.
--Andrew Crowther, February 2002.
(UK) Burgess, A.J. The Notary and
Other Lawyers in Gilbert and Sullivan. Hadleigh, Suffolk: Jardine Press,
1997. hbk: £45 incl. p&p. 0 9525594 1 2.
This is an extremely
eccentric book, physically large and unwieldy. The first 197 pages consist of
meandering thoughts and reminiscences by Mr Burgess. The remainder (the book is
575 pages long!) is taken up with lengthy appendices, including complete texts
of these Gilbert plays: Topsyturvydom, Dulcamara, The Happy Land, Tom
Cobb, and Charity--also the short story "An Elixir of Love", with
all the original "Bab" illustrations. As such it is a valuable addition to the
Gilbert shelf--if you can find one big enough!
(UK/US) Crowther, Andrew.
Contradiction
Contradicted: the Plays of W.S. Gilbert. Cranbury, NJ: Associated
University Presses, 2000. hbk: £30/$39.50. 0 8386 3839 2.
As I wrote
this, I won't comment in detail. But it is a literary-critical study of
Gilbert's plays.
(UK/US) Gilbert and Sullivan's
Christmas, ed. John van der Kiste. Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2000. hbk:
£9.99/$17.95. 0 7509 2265 6.
This is an anthology of passages
relating to Gilbert and Sullivan (sometimes tenuously) and Christmas. Its
importance to us is that it reprints several rare Gilbert articles: "Getting Up
a Pantomime", "A Consistent Pantomime", and "My Pantomime". The first two are
illustrated by "Bab".
(UK) Gilbertiana: Selections from
the Works of W.S. Gilbert, ed. Andrew Crowther. Halifax: Musical
Collectables, 1999. pbk: £7.50 & £2.75 p&p.
This book
is only available directly from Musical Collectables (click
here
for details of how to order). It includes brief passages from a wide range of
Gilbert's works, and the complete text of Gilbert's Topseyturveydom.
There is a lengthy Introduction and a horrible photograph of the editor.
(UK/US) London Assurance and other
Victorian Comedies, ed. Klaus Stierstorfer. Oxford University Press, 2001.
pbk: £7.99/$13.95. 0 19 283296 4.
Contains a new edition of Gilbert's
great comedy Engaged, including two cut passages (not world-shaking).
Herr Stierstorfer has some intelligent commentary on the play in his
Introduction.
(UK) Stedman, Jane W. W.S. Gilbert's
Theatrical Criticism. London: The Society for Theatre Research, 2000.
£15. 085430 068 6.
An invaluable new study of a neglected aspect of
Gilbert's early work. Stedman examines in some detail the parody reviews of
current plays which Gilbert wrote for the comic paper Fun. The best of
these are among his best early work. There are some problems of presentation
and proof-reading, but its good qualities far outweigh its drawbacks. It can be
ordered from Amazon.co.uk, or direct from
the Society for Theatre Research, c/o The Theatre Museum, 1e Tavistock Street,
London WC2E 7PA.
(UK/US) Wren, Gayden. A Most
Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2001. hbk: £25/$35. 0-19-514514-3.
This is a
"controversial" book. It claims to be "the first in fifty years to concentrate
on the operas themselves rather than on biography or performance history" (What
of Alan Fischler's Modified Rapture?) It analyses the operas, arguing
the case for various thematic resonances, and at its best this is very
thought-provoking and not to be dismissed. But the book is laughable from an
academic point of view. The footnotes commonly direct the reader to secondary
sources such as Leslie Baily and Caryl Brahms (!) without any attempt to find
the quotation's real origin. He often displays a disgraceful ignorance, as when
he asserts (p131) that the now-used Overture to Ruddigore is by Sullivan
(p131)--actually it was written round about 1920 by Geoffrey Toye. This book
would have been much better for constructive criticism from G&S
authorities; the arrogance with which Wren makes some of his assertions would
be less annoying if his ground knowledge were firmer. But despite its major
faults, the book has much to offer.
(OOP) The Bab Ballads, ed. James
Ellis. Belknap Press, 1980: pbk, 0 674 05801 1
This is the definitive
edition of the Ballads, covering all Gilbert's light verse written for
publication, with one or two minor exceptions. Includes an excellent
introduction, informative notes, and (of course) all the original "Bab"
illustrations.
(US) The Bab Ballads, with which are
included Songs of a Savoyard. Reprint Service, 1992: $129 (!), 0 7812 7532
6
This edition of the Bab Ballads (first published in 1898) includes only
those which Gilbert decided to collect in volume form (unlike the complete
edition, edited by Ellis). It also replaces many of the original illustrations
with Gilbert's much later "second thoughts", which are generally much milder in
look and much less memorable. The Songs of a Savoyard consist of Gilbert's most
well-known lyrics, mainly from the G&S operas, though one or two lyrics
from The Mountebanks and His Excellency are also included; these
also are illustrated in Gilbert's later, weaker style.
(UK/US) The Bab Ballads
(audiobook; read by Jim Broadbent).
Faber/Penguin Audiobooks, 2000:
£8.99, 0 14 180178 6
Dover Books Audio, 2000: $18.00, 0787 124974
Eccentrically, this is the only modern edition of the Ballads "in print" (if
that's the right term for audio cassettes). It is of course only a selection,
of 31 ballads, including some not very obvious choices such as the very early
"To My Absent Husband". Broadbent's reading of the Ballads is superb, as one
would expect. He uses a range of different Voices (including, I'm sure, an
impersonation of Gielgud). In the case of "A Bad Night of It" he makes a
mediocre Gilbert poem sound wonderful.
(UK/US) The Complete Annotated
Gilbert and Sullivan, ed. Ian Bradley. Oxford University Press, 1996: hbk,
£25.00/$49.95, 0 19 816503 X ; pbk, £17.99, 0 198167105
Contains the texts of all the G&S operas, except Thespis. The
annotations cover not only explanations of obscure references, but also
transcriptions of variant readings, cut passages, etc. Many of these are
fascinating, telling us much about the way Gilbert's creative imagination
worked. Bradley's approach is, by his own admission, not academic, and this
book contains some oddities and factual errors. But, on the whole, a highly
worthwhile work.
(UK/US) The Complete Plays of
Gilbert and Sullivan. W.W. Norton, 1980:
UK pbk, £11.95, 0 393
00828 2
US pbk, $15.00, 03933 16882
Contains the texts of all the
G&S operas, including Thespis. An additional advantage is the
inclusion of Gilbert's illustrations for many of the songs.
(OOP) Foggerty's Fairy and Other
Tales. London: Routledge, 1890.
A collection of Gilbert's short
stories and articles. Worth buying for his article "A Stage Play" alone. Very
difficult to find, however: my own copy came into my hands by a slice of
outrageous luck.
(OOP) Gilbert Before Sullivan,
ed. Jane W. Stedman. University of Chicago Press, 1967.
A superb,
groundbreaking collection of six early musical plays by Gilbert, including the
celebrated Ages Ago and the less well-known, but much funnier, A
Sensation Novel. Every one of these pieces is highly enjoyable proof that
Gilbert's genius did not begin and end with G&S. The wit, intelligence,
extravagance and effortless invention apparent in these works are astonishing.
Stedman provides an excellent introduction.
(UK) The Lost Stories of W.S.
Gilbert, ed. Peter Haining. Robson Books:
1982: hbk £7.95, 0
86051 200 2
1985: pbk £4.50, 0 86051 337 8
The texts of the
stories themselves are excellent: included are such pieces as "An Elixir of
Love", which Gilbert adapted to create The Sorcerer, and other comic and
melodramatic stories. Haining's introduction is almost a textbook example of
how not to write about Gilbert. Much of what he says is an unashamed warming-up
of very old opinions. His statements about the sources of the stories are often
wildly inaccurate: for instance he says that the story "The Finger of Fate" was
published in Routledge's Annual for 1890, whereas it was actually first
published in Hood's Comic Annual, 1872.
(OOP) Original Plays by W.S.
Gilbert [in four volumes ("series")]. London: Chatto & Windus.
These volumes contain the "authorised" texts of the majority of Gilbert's
plays. They regularly appear in British second-hand bookshops, usually costing
no more than two or three pounds per volume; they originally appeared, a volume
at a time, over a period from 1875 to 1911, and were reprinted several times
into the 1930s. They contain forty of Gilbert's most important plays, including
the G&S libretti, and while some of the proofreading leaves something to be
desired (The Mikado omits the Little List!) no better collection of
Gilbert's plays has ever been made. They are the indispensable backbone to the
avid Gilbertian's collection.
(OOP) Plays by W.S. Gilbert, ed.
George Rowell. Cambridge University Press, 1982: 0 521 23589 8
A good
selection of Gilbert's non-Sullivan plays, including the superbly silly
libretto Princess Toto, and the non-Sullivan masterpiece Engaged.
Rowell's introduction provides an excellent overview of Gilbert's theatrical
achievement.
(UK) The Realm of Joy, ed.
Terence Rees. Privately printed, 1969: pbk, £3.50, 0 950 01081 2
This is a minor, but highly entertaining, squib by Gilbert - ostensibly a
translation of a French farce, but actually freely adapted so as to apply to a
controversy over stage censorship in which Gilbert was heavily involved at the
time. Rees's introduction is very informative about the play's
background.
(UK) The Story of H.M.S.
Pinafore. Halifax:
Musical
Collectables, 2000? Order code PPB/47; £4.99 plus p&p.
First
published in 1908. Though it is nominally a children's retelling of the opera,
adults will probably enjoy it much more. It is, of course, Gilbert's own
retelling, and contains many characteristic touches; it is great fun.
(UK) The Story of The Mikado.
Halifax: Musical
Collectables, 1998. Order code TMB/48; £4.99 plus p&p.
First
published in 1921. The same comments apply as for The Pinafore Picture
Book, though it is not, to my mind, quite as funny.
(UK) Uncle Baby, ed. Terence
Rees. Privately printed, 1968: pbk, £3.50, 0 9500108 0 4
Gilbert's
first play, a short melodramatic "comedietta". More interesting historically
than as a work of drama. Again, Rees contributes a good
introduction.
(OOP) Baily, Leslie. The Gilbert and
Sullivan Book. London: Cassell & Co. Ltd., 1952.
The standard
general work on G&S: well illustrated and written in a very lively style,
though sometimes more "creative" in its information than one would ideally
wish. The lure of a Good Story, or lazy research pure and simple, takes Baily
beyond the realms of factual accuracy on occasion, marring what is otherwise an
excellent starting point for learning about the subject.
(OOP) Browne, Edith A. W.S.
Gilbert. [Stars of the Stage.] London & New York: John Lane, 1907.
The first full-length work on Gilbert, the result of a number of interviews
with him, and proofread by him. Edith Browne's opinions are sometimes
ludicrously "of their time": her comment on the last page that "Universal Peace
is fast becoming a universal ideal" is oddly affecting, given the date.
Discursively written, but worth getting if you can. Copies are difficult to
find, unfortunately.
(UK) Cox-Ife, William. W.S. Gilbert:
Stage Director. Dobson, 1978: £9.95, 0 234 77206 9
Not the
definitive work one might hope for, but contains some good information about
Gilbert as director of the Savoy operas (little space is given to his other
plays), and some advice about new productions, by a former Musical Director of
the D'Oyly Carte.
(US) Dark, Sidney, and Grey, Rowland.
W.S. Gilbert: His Life and Letters. Blom Pubns UK: Ayer, 1978: $23.95, 0
405 08430 7.
Originally published 1923. This is not so much an account of
his life as a series of impressions, a jumble of letters and anecdotage without
much sense of organisation. However, it includes many of Gilbert's most
entertaining letters, and the authors' determination to see Gilbert's best side
is an excellent corrective to David Eden.
(UK/US) Dillard, Phil (ed.) How
Quaint the Ways of Paradox!: an annotated Gilbert and Sullivan
bibliography. Scarecrow Press, 1991: hbk, £22.50/$35.00, 0 8108 2445
0
An excellent source book for material about G&S, though by necessity
not comprehensive.
(UK) Eden, David. Gilbert and
Sullivan: The Creative Conflict. Associated University Presses, 1986: hbk,
£27.00, 0 8386 3282 3
Despite the title, this is primarily a book
about Gilbert: Sullivan is discussed in depth in only one of the chapters. Eden
contends that Gilbert's personality was arrested at an early stage of
development, that he was sado-masochistic at the infantile level. You will not
be surprised that I disagree. It seems to me that Eden bases his argument on a
frequent misuse of evidence. By refusing to acknowledge the positive facets of
Gilbert's character, Eden is able to present him to us as a monster, a
grotesque caricature. Gilbert was very far from a perfect creature, but he
wasn't half as bad as Eden portrays him. In my view.
(OOP) Fischler, Alan. Modified
Rapture: Comedy in W.S. Gilbert's Savoy Operas. University Press of
Virginia, 1991: hbk, 0 8139 1334 9
This is a very closely-reasoned book,
clearly based on a thesis. The essence of the argument is that the main Savoy
Operas (starting with H.M.S. Pinafore) succeeded because they followed a
formula which upheld bourgeois values. They abandoned the anti-establishment
tone of Gilbert's early works. I am not convinced of this myself (see
Contradiction Contradicted), but Fischler provides much food for
thought.
(OOP) Goldberg, Isaac. Sir William
S. Gilbert: A Study in Modern Satire. Boston, 1913.
An interesting
curiosity. I have only seen this once, in the British Library, but as far as I
remember it was a very over-written book, though with some good ideas hiding in
the verbiage. Goldberg's later Story of Gilbert and Sullivan is far
preferable in terms of maturity of judgement.
(OOP) Goldberg, Isaac. The Story of
Gilbert and Sullivan; or, The 'Compleat' Savoyard. London: John Murray,
1929.
A knowledgeable and erudite account of the G&S story, dating from
1929. Goldberg is very strong on Gilbert (less so on Sullivan, I'm told), and
he says much that I would like to have said myself. Even when he is (to my
mind) wrong, he is healthily provocative.
(OOP) Hayter, Charles. Gilbert and
Sullivan. (Macmillan Modern Dramatists.) Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1987.
A good, readable modern study of Gilbert's libretti for Sullivan, which relates
them to Gilbert's other plays and to the Victorian theatrical scene. This is
the book that first made me realise that Gilbert might be worth serious study,
so I can forgive it the occasional fault in the argument.
(US) Jacobs, Arthur. Gilbert and
Sullivan. Rprt Serv., 1988: $59, 0 7812 0071 7
I must admit, with
shame, that I have never read this book. Jacobs is a generally reliable writer,
however.
(US) Orel, Harold (ed.). Gilbert and
Sullivan: Interviews and Recollections.Macmillan/University of Iowa Press,
1995: pbk, $15.95, 0 87745 476 0
A collection of early material on
G&S, including Gilbert's short Autobiography. Otherwise, a book of only
incidental interest.
(UK) Pearson, Hesketh. Gilbert and
Sullivan. House of Stratus Ltd., 2001: pbk, £8.00, 1 84232 167 6
One of the earliest "standard" works on G&S, dating from 1935. It is as
good an introduction as any, and is written with style and wit, though many of
Pearson's opinions, and some of his information, should be taken with a pinch
of salt.
(UK) Pearson, Hesketh. Gilbert: His
Life and Strife. Greenwood Press, 1978: hbk, £50.50 (!), 0 313 20364
4
First published 1957. A discursive and far from complete account of
Gilbert's life, interesting mostly for the many transcriptions of letters
included. These are used to best effect in the account of the breakup of the
marriage of Gilbert's parents, and in the account of the Carpet
Quarrel.
(UK) Rees, Terence. Thespis: A
Gilbert and Sullivan Enigma. Privately Printed, 1964: pbk, £6.00, 0
900333 04 9
The definitive book on the first G&S opera. More is now
known about Thespis than Rees could have known in 1964, but the extent
of his research is astonishing, and is a fine example of how much can be
discovered about something which has been "lost".
(UK) Stedman, Jane W. W.S. Gilbert:
A Classic Victorian and his Theatre. Oxford University Press, 1996: hbk,
£20, 0 19 816174 3
This is the first comprehensive account of
Gilbert's life. (See Gilbert Alone for a
full review.) A landmark in Gilbertian studies.
(OOP) Sutton, Max Keith. W.S.
Gilbert. Boston: Twayne, 1975.
This is undoubtedly the best modern
study of Gilbert from a literary-critical point of view. Sutton covers the full
range of Gilbert's output, which is remarkable enough: what is more, he does so
with great intelligence and understanding. I think he pushes the idea of
Gilbert as radical satirist a bit too much, but there's no doubt the evidence
is there to support his arguments. If you are interested in Gilbert as a
writer, and you happen on this book in a second-hand bookshop, snap it up at
once! Don't let it out of your sight till money has changed hands and it is
firmly yours, and protect it as you would gold bullion. It will be a revelation
to you. (Unfortunately, it is, for all practical purposes, impossible to find
here in Britain, except by Inter-Library Loan. I don't know if it is any easier
to find in the States.)
(UK) Williamson, Audrey. Gilbert and
Sullivan: An Assessment. Marion Boyars, 1983: pbk, £8.95, 0 7145 2767
X
A generally good discussion of the operas, from the perspective of a
theatre/music critic.
(UK) Wilson, Frederic Woodbridge. An
Introduction to the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, from the Collection of the
Pierpont Morgan Library. Dover, 1989: pbk, £10.95, 0 486 26386 X
This book is of interest to all Savoyards, not just to the beginner. Contains a
wealth of fascinating illustrations - e.g. Gilbert's sketch of Grossmith as
J.W. Wells, and also some details of the extent of the G&S Collection at
the Pierpont Morgan Library. It was from this book that I learned of the
rediscovery of the original score of Our Island Home.
(OOP) Wolfson, John. Final Curtain:
The Last Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. London: Chappell & Co., in
association with André Deutsch, 1976.
Wolfson poses the question:
Why did the last two G&S operas (Utopia, Limited and The Grand
Duke) fail? He finds an answer in the bitterness which soured the
relationship of the collaborators after the Carpet Quarrel. He gives a detailed
account of the creation of the two operas (particularly from Gilbert's
perspective). His interpretation of what Gilbert was doing in the operas seems
to me off-beam sometimes, but he provides us with much invaluable material
which may help us to make up our own minds. He also reprints pre-production
copies of the two operas, including a good deal of material missing from the
versions which were eventually performed.