In this volume Dr. Saddlemyer has created, by selecting from the correspondence of the first directors, W.B.Yeats, Lady Gregory and J.M.Synge, and drawing on material by Miss Horniman and others, a fascinating book that shows the foundation and evolution of the Abbey through the first five years of its existence, as seen from the inside by the protagonists. It describes the internal management problems, including the controversies that led to the first departure of players over nationalist principles, and the troubles which eventually brought about the resignation of Frank and Willie Fay, as well as the daily difficulties of programming, casting, production and finance, and the excitement of a pioneering theatrical enterprise.