Death At The Excelsior is a highly recommended introduction into the world of Wodehouse; a first-time reader may, like most of us, become quickly addicted to Wodehouse and further explore the richly humorous world of this marvelous author. Longtime admirers will, of course, return frequently to these miniature gems. <p> This fabulous Collection Of Early Wodehouse Writings is a must have. Contents: Death At The Excelsior [1914], Misunder ...
Everyone is familiar with Around the World in 80 Days and 20,000 Leagues. For some reason, The Mysterious Island is not read as widely. Yet, in my opinion, it is Vernes best and most rewarding novel. <p> I really recommend reading this book. It starts off slowly, and there were times in the middle of the book that I began to get overwhelmed by the complex descriptions that Verne offers about how this band of Civil War escapees manage the ...
History of the Peloponnesian War is, superficially, merely an account of a war that happened centuries ago, the Peloponnesian War, between Athenas and Sparta. Of course, you might think that the subject is trivial to you. After all, how important can a book like that be?. Well, if you were to think that, you would be enormously mistaken. <p> To start with, this book is a milestone you need to be aware of. Thucydides, its author, is very ...
Ive long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hopes The Prisoner of Zenda is a classic youll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, its still as sharp as a rapier point. <p> The Prisoner of Zenda is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as ...
Daniel Defoes 1722 novel, Moll Flanders, remains a fascinating imaginative work, and is in many ways more interesting than his famous first effort, Robinson Crusoe. Having seen bits of two recent film adaptations in the last couple of months on television, and being a budding 18th century scholar, I decided it was time I picked up my own copy of Moll Flanders and see the actual product on its own terms. A story no less about a castaway and delin ...
I found this book by accident while browsing through a now-defunct Los Angeles bookstore/cafe. It was the luckiest accident of my life. At that point I had been a professional writer for more than twenty years, but I rarely enjoyed my work, and I felt all of it was disposable in one way or another. At first, reading this book gave me an incredible, if unfamiliar, feeling of joy and self-confidence. <p> Afterwards, I began to surprise th ...
Santa Claus. Two simple words that can make most children smile. L. Frank Baum once again has touched the spirits of many with his tale based on the legendary Santa Claus. <p> I remember it being read to me by my father as a young child. As an adult, it is still magical with every reading. The story tells the tale of an abandoned baby in the woods who was adopted and raised by fairies in their forest. As Claus, a mortal, grows up among ...
Any reader who loves a good book will relish the vicarious experience of traveling with Twain, his wife, Livy, and Clara, one of their three daughters as they tour the world on the lecture circuit. Its important to understand the necessity of the trip: Twain was 60, facing bankruptcy, and signed on for the lecture tour in order to pay off his debt. The grueling schedule and unpredictable travel accommodations take no toll on his writing, however ...
A Wodehouse Miscellany is a highly recommended introduction into the world of Wodehouse; a first-time reader may, like most of us, become quickly addicted to Wodehouse and further explore the richly humorous world of this marvelous author. Longtime admirers will, of course, return frequently to these miniature gems. <p> This fabulous Collection Of Early Wodehouse Writings is a must have. Contents: Some Aspects Of Game-Captaincy, An Unfi ...