Books by Jeffrey (Lancaster University Richards

Tells the history of the Ancient World epic from the silent screen successes of "Intolerance" and "The King of Kings" through the 'golden age of the epic' in the 1950s through to the 1990s revival with "Gladiator", its successors in cinema. This book also seeks to tease out the hidden messages concealed in the narrative.

Sir Henry Irving was the greatest actor of the Victorian age and was thought of by Gladstone as his greatest contemporary. He transformed the theatre, in Britain and America, from a disreputable and marginal entertainment into a respected and uplifting art form. This work gives an account of Irving and his impact on the Victorian theatre and life.

The English Pantomime is one of the most popular, least analysed of all theatrical forms. It's been the festive mainstay of the English stage since the eighteenth century, and it has survived by its ability to evolve.

The period between the two world wars is often named 'the golden age of the cinema' in Britain. This title examines the role of going to the pictures in people's lives during a tough period when people regularly spent a few pence to purchase ready-made dreams watching Gracie Fields, Robert Donat and the other stars of the day.

Examines dissent and the persecution of heretics, witches, Jews, lepers and homosexuals in the Middle Ages, and argues that the common motive for their punishment was sexual aberrance.

This revised edition up-dates the authors' demonstration of how a close study of films, in their historical and cultural settings, can enrich understanding of both cinema and historical events.