History of European Puppetry From Its Origins to the End of the 19th Century Volume One

". . . there is no doubt about it, this is probably the most important English-language book to appear since Speaight's History of the English Puppet Theatre. There is not other book which gives us this broad overview without having to have a French or German dictionary in hand. . . . . There is much fascinating material, good solid stuff. . ." - Animations: A Review of Puppetry and Related Theatre

Volume One: Divisions include: Origins; Antiquity; The Middle Ages; Renaissance and Baroque Genres (Commedia dell'Arte, Puppet Opera, Fairground Theatres, Máquina Real); The Age of Enlightenment (English Golden Age, French Boulevard Theatres, Shadow Theatre, Puppets and the Revolution, Poland, Russia); Romanticism and Recognition (German writers, and Romantic Aesthetics); The Age of Folk and Popular Theatre (nativity shows, Guignol, Italian Specificity); 19th Century; Attracting the Artists. Full bibliography. 82 photographs.

Volume Two: The Twentieth Century
Penny Francis, collaborating editor
Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. Modernist Initiatives: The Cabarets; An alliance with poets; Puppets in the dramatic theatre; Modernist puppets in Russia; In search of the ideal actor; Puppets and the Avant Garde
2. Essential Values: Paul Brann and the European revival; Jugendstil in puppetry; Tradition ennobled; The Podrecca phenomenon; Sculpture in motion; Scholars and theories; The first dent in the theory
3. Support and Oppression: Social care; In the service of ideology; Under Fascist control; An art form for all seasons; At the front and behind the wire
4. Inheritance Old and New: Tradition alive; A resumption of activity - Skupa; Podrecca; Obraztsov
5. New Languages: Cabaret and the soloists; Social realism; A messenger of ideology; Social realism in practice ; Folklore - the way to national identity; Enriching theatre; Revolt in the lion's den
6. Catching Up with Modern Art: Polish innovation; New Romanian concepts; Bulgarian invention; Hungarian Modernism; Polish analogy; Bohemia - breaking with realism; The aesthetics of DRAK; A new generation in the Soviet Union; The Brechtian inheritance in East Germany; The break with classicism; German literary experience; Paralysed by tradition; Swiss humanism; Engagement announced; Austrian radicalism; British professionalism; Fine artists enter the arena
7. A United Landscape: Infrastructure; Poland - political and moral satire; Power and aesthetics; DRAK at the crossroads; Romanian developments; Russian updating; Soviet Republics as free countries; Germany, divided and unified; Switzerland, Austria - stirring of the neutrals; Dutch puppetry and its alternatives; Scandinavian input; French experience; Theatre in South Slavonia; The Spanish renaissance
8. Favoured Genres: Actors on puppet territory; Inspiration from the Fine Arts; The shadow theatre; Puppet Opera reconstructed; Philippe Genty; Object theatre; Italian tradition - fine art and object theatre
Conclusion, Bibliography, Index