Publisher's Synopsis
The comedy is set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885. Raina Petkoff is a young Bulgarian woman who is engaged to Sergius Saranoff. He is a hero in the war, and Raina idolizes him. One night, a Swiss mercenary soldier in the Serbian army, Captain Bluntschli, climbs in through her bedroom balcony window and threatens to shoot Raina if she shouts for help. When Russian and Bulgarian troops burst in to search the house, Raina hides him so he won't be killed. The story brings into question the value of war and the reality of heroism. Shaw was a pacifist, and he brings his philosophy to events in the play. This edition has been designed with an attractive layout to provide a pleasant reading experience.
