The Wizard of Oz: The First Five Novels

by L. Frank Baum

Oz, the Great Wizard! The very name of L. Frank Baum's magical character conjures a world where diminutive munchkins live and work, wicked witches run riot, and the mighty Oz himself rules over an Emerald City reached by a yellow brick road. The Wizard of Oz: The First Five Novels is your passport to this marvelous realm and wonders that have enchanted readers young and old for more than a century. Lavishly illustrated by W. W. Denslow and John R. Neill, this volume includes: • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz • The Marvelous Land of Oz • Ozma of Oz • Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz • The Road to Oz The Wizard of Oz: The First Five Novels is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an exquisitely designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging and a ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensable cornerstone for every home library.

Genres: Classics

728 pages, Leather Bound

Published July 31, 2015

About the author

also wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald

Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).

Reviews

[Alec Biron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Containing the complete first five Oz novels by L. Frank Baum, this special collector's edition by Barnes and Noble is a beautifully bound book that deserves a front row seat on any shelf. With emerald green edges and original illustrations by W.W Denslow and John R. Neil, this collection of Buam's works is truly special. As far as the actual stories go, so many people don't realize that Baum wrote a total of 14 Oz novels. While each novel tends to get progressively stranger than the last, true Oz fans will love this special edition.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cute, sometimes a little prejudice, but you expect that with the era, not excusing it, rather acknowledging that it was there.

My only other issue was the descriptions (sometimes completely lacking, sometimes overly elaborate) and the abrupt endings.

Fun kids book, would recommend.