Book excerpt: Allardyce Nicoll's History of English Drama, 1660-1900 was an immense scholarly achievement and the work of one man. Nicoll's History, which tells the story of English drama from the reopening of the theatres at the time of the Restoration right through to the end of the Victorian period, was viewed by Notes and Queries (1952) as 'a great work of exploration, a detailed guide to the untrodden acres of our dramatic history, hitherto largely ignored as barren and devoid of interest'. The History is reissued in seven paperback volumes, available separately and as a set. In volumes 1-5 Nicoll describes the conditions of the stage, actors and managers as well as dramatic genres. The sixth and seventh volumes offer a comprehensive list of all the plays known to have been produced or printed in England between 1660 and 1930, with their authors and alternative titles; it has thus independent value as well as providing an index to the earlier volumes.