Major Barbara (Original) (Leather Bounded)

Major Barbara (Original) (Leather Bounded)

byBernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara is a sharp, entertaining moral cage match that pits philanthropy against profit and asks an uncomfortable question that never expires: if money from harmful industries relieves human suffering, is taking it corruption or common sense; Shaw stages the debate inside the Undershaft family, where Barbara, a commanding officer in the Salvation Army, collides with her father Andrew Undershaft, a charismatic arms manufacturer who believes, with unnerving clarity, that poverty is “the worst of crimes” and that real salvation requires power, not piety. What follows is brisk and provocative: sparkling talk that crackles like a duel, comedy that lands without softening the argument, and a structure that moves from genteel drawing rooms to London’s underclass to the spotless efficiency of the munitions works, where the play’s paradox finally comes into focus; Barbara wants moral purity and practical help for the poor, Undershaft wants results and is willing to fund them with cannon money, and Adolphus “Dolly” Cusins, the wry Greek scholar in love with Barbara, tries to square conscience with reality as he’s seduced by the engine-room of modern power. The language is classic Shaw: witty, aerodynamic, and built for quotation, yet it stays grounded in real pressures like hunger, pride, work, and the humiliations of charity; themes line up cleanly for students and book clubs—ethics of giving, the politics of poverty, the seduction of wealth, institutional compromise, the uses and abuses of religion—and the characters are more than mouthpieces, from Lady Britomart’s managerial thunder to Barbara’s bruised faith to Undershaft’s unsettling warmth as a benevolent industrialist who refuses to lie about his trade. This 2005 leather-bound hardcover, an original print and preowned but fresh copy curated by Pathok Point, gives the play the presentation it deserves: durable binding for rereads, elegant finish for the shelf, and a tactile seriousness that matches the play’s intellectual stakes without turning it into a museum object; condition is carefully selected so pages are clean, the spine is tight, and the overall feel invites annotation, staging ideas, and repeat discussions. Inside you’ll find set pieces that teach beautifully—the Salvation Army shelter scenes where ideals meet need, the fundraising reversal that tests Barbara’s convictions, and the final tour of the factory that reframes everything you thought you’d decided—as well as lines that anchor essays in a sentence or two, such as Undershaft’s cool refusal to pretend that good intentions feed the hungry or keep the peace. For coursework, it’s a gift: clear argumentative arcs, contrasting worldviews you can map, and imagery that ties economics to ethics; for general readers, it’s fast, funny, and bracing; for collectors, the leather binding and original-print credibility add long-term value and display appeal. Pathok Point’s promise is straightforward: making books affordable while keeping authenticity and quality front and center, and we can say plainly what others can’t because we work at scale—no one else consistently brings this level of treasure to market at this level of accessibility; being the largest preowned bookseller in BD means we source widely, condition-check carefully, and list only copies that are truly ready to read and to keep. Inventory reality check: preowned leather-bound originals arrive in small, unpredictable waves and the finest copies move first, so if you’re seeing this available, that’s your moment; whether you’re building a modern drama shelf, prepping a syllabus on ethics and economics, or gifting a play that sparks real debate without losing its sense of fun, this edition delivers Shaw’s fierce intelligence in a form made to last—add to cart and let the argument begin.