George Bernard Shaw
Chesterton excels himself as a biographer in this study. Being himself a famous author and a long-standing friend of George Bernard Shaw, he covers the life and works of the Irish playwright Shaw with warmth and critical perspicacity. In one hundred thrifty pages Chesterton covers the ground in a notably more concise style than is his wont. The three main formative influences on Shaw are covered in the first three chapters of note: The Irishman; The Puri... St. Thomas Aquinas
Chesterton on Aquinas sounds like it ought to be worth a read, and it is. This is an enjoyable and stimulating introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274), his life and works. He was born into the aristocracy he gave it all up and became a monk, and his philosophy and theology have influenced Western thought ever since.
Other writer on Aquinas have acclaimed this excellent work as the best short introduction there is - up to the date of writing, wh... The Club of Queer Trades
Published in 1905 and now available in the Wordsworth Classics series, 'The Club of Queer Trades' is one of the least known of Chesterton stories. The ex-judge turned amateur detective Basil Grant is certainly barely known compared to Chesterton's other unconventional detective, Father Brown. This is a gentle and witty parody of the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson stories, and the comparison with the Basil Grant and Charles Swinburne duo is clear without ... The Man Who was Thursday
Gabriel Syme is a poet turned special detective, who must stop the Central Anarchist Council, which is composed of seven members named after the day of the week. He is unexpectedly elected Thursday and form this point onward the book is mostly action as Syme and his confederates make amazing discoveries. The unexpected denouement occurs as Syme discovers who Sunday is....
