A fresh look at a play usually regarded as the first component of a three-part historical epic, this edition argues that Henry VI Part 1 is a 'prequel', a freestanding piece that returns for ironic and dramatic effect to a story already familiar to its audience. The play's ingenious use of stage space is closely analysed, as is its manipulation of a series of setpiece combats to give a coherent syntax of action. Discussion of the dramatic structure created by the opposing figures of Talbot and Jeanne la Pucelle, and exploration of the critical controversies surrounding the figure of Jeanne, lead to a reflection on the nature of the history play as genre in the 1590s.

Hadoram Shirihai is Israel's foremost ornithologist, co-author of Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds, and the author of books including the acclaimed Sylvia Warblers and A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. While his work, especially on tubenoses, has taken him to virtually every corner of the globe, his love of deserts and bird migration means that he is still to be found at Eilat, the watchpoint at the head of the Red Sea that he brought to the world's attention, virtually every spring. The scientific name of the Desert Tawny Owl (Strix hadorami), a species that attracted his attention and research from when he was a schoolboy, honours his devotion to Middle Eastern ornithology.

Andreas J. Helbig grew up in northwest Germany and became interested in birds at an early age. He studied biology in San Diego and Frankfurt, gaining his doctorate from Frankfurt University in 1989 with a study of the inheritance of migratory behaviour of Blackcaps. Since 1993, he has been Director of Vogelwarte Hiddensee, and a lecturer at Greifswalk University. His research interests include the evolutionary biology of bird migration, phylogeny of birds, molecular methods of phylogeny reconstruction, and taxonomy. He has travelled worldwide to study birds and has led tours on a number of occasions.

Gabriel Gargallo was born in Barcelona and began his career in ornithology as a member of the Catalan Ringing Group in 1986. His main interests are the Sylvia warblers, moult, and species insularity, and he has published over 20 papers relating to these subjects in several international journals. In 1987 he became a member of Catalan Ringing Committee and worked as its coordinator. Since 1992 he has also been coordinating the efforts of Spanish ringing stations involved in the Piccole Isole project and, among other research programmes, is in charge of the Catalan 'Constant Effort Site Scheme'. He finished his studies on moult pattern and process at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, Montpellier.

Alan Harris has been a freelance illustrator since 1980, art consultant for British Birds since 1988, and one of the judges of the magazine's 'Bird Illustrator of the Year' competition since 1989 (have won first prize in 1982). His illustrations have appeared in numerous books including Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World. Kingfishes, Bee-eaters & Rollers, Finchers & Sparrow, The Macmillan Birders' Guide to European and Middle Eastern Birds, volumes 5-7 of Birds of the Western Palearctic, Birds of the Western Palearctic - Concise Edition, and Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. He is particularly interested in Old World warblers and gulls.