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A classic and thrilling tale of espionage and murder, Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent" was first published in 1907. Set in London in 1886, the novel centers around Mr. Adolf Verloc, a spy who owns a small shop and lives with his wife Winnie, her mother and her mentally disabled brother Stevie, above his business. He is also a member of a largely ineffectual anarchist group, whom he meets with regularly to discuss politics and produce anarchist literature. Unknown to his fellow anarchists, Verloc is secretly working for the Embassy of an unnamed country as an "agent provocateur." Verloc is told by his government contact that he and his associates are to bomb the Greenwich Observatory in London in order to make the British see anarchism as a greater threat and work more actively to suppress it. In scenes alternating between both before and after the bombing, the novel follows the police investigation of the bombing and the family drama unfolding in Verloc's own home, as Stevie's inadvertent involvement in the bombing comes to light. Considered to be one of Conrad's best works, as well as a prescient study of modern terrorism, it is also a searing and tragic story of family love and loyalty. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1904, "Nostromo" is widely considered one of Joseph Conrad's best works. Set in the fictitious mining town of Sulaco, a port city in the imaginary South American country of Costaguana, it is the story of Senõr Gould, an English expatriate who owns the silver-mining concession in the country. When the country becomes engulfed in increasing violence and chaos, Senõr Gould charges Nostromo, his trusted head longshoreman, with the duty of hiding his silver so that it does not fall into the hands of his political enemies. Nostromo is highly respected by his fellow citizens and is viewed as being incorruptible, so he is a natural choice for such a serious task. Nostromo succeeds in hiding the silver, but his good deed does not bring him the favor and respect that he feels is his due and his bitterness morphs into greed. Even the perfect and pure Nostromo cannot resist the power of the silver and it is his eventual undoing. Set against the lush landscape and turbulent politics of South America, "Nostromo" is a Conrad's masterful tale of the power of money, its ability to corrupt, and the destruction it leaves behind. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Originally published in serial form between October 1899 and November 1900, Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim" is the story of Jim, a young British Seamen and the first mate of the "Patna", a ship full of Muslim pilgrims on a hajj to Mecca. When the ship is damaged and begins to take on water, Jim, along with the Captain and some of the crew abandon the ship and its passengers. Jim's group and the "Patna" are rescued separately and the crew's reprehensible actions and dereliction of duties are made public. Jim, abandoned by the Captain and the rest of the crew, is left alone to face a magistrate's court over the matter. Stripped of his command and his reputation ruined, Jim is left directionless, going from one job to another, pursued by his guilt and despair. Jim eventually accepts a job on a small, remote island, hopeful that he may finally find peace far away from those who know what he has done. Jim, filled with penitence, seeks to find redemption in kindness and service to his fellow man. Considered by many to be Conrad's most romantic novel, Jim's ultimately tragic struggle toward redemption and forgiveness continues to resonant with readers to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Born on October 21, 1772 in Devonshire, England, Coleridge was a dreamy and thoughtful boy and not one for sports or rough play. When he was eight his father died and Coleridge was sent away to Christ's Hospital, a charity school in London where stayed for the remainder of his childhood. In 1795, Coleridge met William Wordsworth and the two poets worked closely together to found the Romantic Movement in English literature. Collected together here in this representative volume are Samuel Taylor Coleridge's most popular poems. In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" we find the ghostly tale of a sailor's experience following a long voyage at sea. In "Kubla Khan" Coleridge relates an opium influenced dream of the legendary city Xanadu. In "Christabel" the story of its titular character and her encounter with a stranger named Geraldine is told. Along with these three major Coleridge compositions we find the poet's conversation poems, a collection of eight poems which examine and reflect upon particular life experiences. The poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge endures as some of the best of the Romantic period, whose influence on later generations of poets cannot be overstated. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Julian B. Abernethy.

Lord George Gordon Byron was the flamboyant aristocratic poet who is as renowned for his personal life as he is for his poetry. The victim of an untimely death, Lord Byron lived from 1788 to 1824. Despite this relatively short life he still managed to create a volume of poetry that achieved him the status as one of the greatest of all English poets. This representative selection includes such classics as "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage", a sweeping narrative poem which relays the story of a world-weary young man who abandons a life of pleasure for distraction in foreign lands, and a selection from "Don Juan", generally considered by critics as Byron's masterpiece, which tells the legend of Don Juan as a man who is easily seduced by women instead of the more common womanizing portrayal. A leading figure of the Romantic movement, Lord Byron's poetry is still widely read and admired to this day. Fans of English Romantic poetry would be remiss in skipping this fine collection of over one hundred of Byron's classic poetic works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Originally published in 1848, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is the second and final novel written by Anne Bronte. Considered one of the first feminist novels, it was both instantly successful and highly controversial. The story follows the relationship between Gilbert Markham, a prosperous farmer, and the mysterious widow Mrs. Helen Graham, who takes up residence with only her son and a servant in the nearby tumbledown mansion of Wildfell Hall. Told in a series of letters, Gilbert describes how he falls in love with the elusive Helen and learns of her tragic past. The victim of small town gossip, Helen finally tells Gilbert how she has left her aristocratic and alcoholic husband in order to save her young son from his influence. The novel was far more realistic in both tone and subject matter than other popular novels of its time and boldly challenged the accepted treatment of women in Victorian England. While Bronte rejected the romantic style popular at that time and frankly addressed the obstacles and prejudices faced by women, Helen and Gilbert's story is essentially one of love and hope. A classic of the Victorian era as well as a feminist tale far ahead of its time, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is a must read for fans of the Bronte sisters. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Mary Augusta Ward.

"The Book of Enoch" is one of the most notable extant apocryphal works of the Bible. Estimated to have been written around 300 BC, this ancient Jewish religious work is ascribed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Consisting of five distinct sections, the book begins with the fall of the Watchers, angels who fathered the Nephilim, the offspring of "sons of god" and the "daughters of men." The book follows Enoch as he travels through Heaven and expands more thoroughly, than the Book of Genesis, on the early kingdom of Israel and the events leading up to the great flood of Noah. Many themes common to other Biblical apocalyptic stories can be found here: despair by the godly for their world, a world where goodness did not matter and where evil triumphed and prospered. With evil everywhere around, the Apocalyptists saw no hope for the world as it was, it must be destroyed if the good were ever to triumph. This edition follows the translation of R. H. Charles.

First published in 1871, "Little Men" or "Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys" is considered the second book in the unofficial "Little Women" trilogy by author Louisa May Alcott. "Little Men" follows the adventures of Alcott's beloved character Jo March and her husband, Professor Fredreich Bhaer, as they run their Plumfield Estate School. As to be expected, Jo and her husband do not run their school along conventional lines and they encourage their students to have pets, gardens, and even weekly pillow fights. The novel details six months in the daily lives and struggles of the Bhaers and their children, family, friends, and the pupils that attend the school. Jo's characteristic intelligence, good humor, and playful spirit help both her students as well as her sister Meg's children navigate the pitfalls and challenges of becoming adults. The experiences of the youngsters as they make mistakes and are guided by caring and pragmatic adults exemplify important life lessons and help them grow into proper young gentleman and ladies. The same love of family, sense of charity and industry, good humor, kindness, and generosity that made "Little Women" such an enduring classic may be found in this heartwarming tale as well. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is illustrated by Reginald Birch.

Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" is a play which has been classified by some critics as a comedy and by others as a romance. The confusion arises out of the fact that the first three acts are filled with intense psychological drama while the last two acts provide a comedic and happy ending. At the outset of the play we are introduced to two childhood friends, Leontes, King of Sicilia, and Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, who has travelled to Sicilia to visit his old friend. After several months of joyful reunion, Polixenes yearns to return home to attend to his affairs and see his son. Leontes however doesn't wish to see his friend go and implores his wife, Queen Hermione, to try and convince him to stay. Hermione easily convinces Polixenes, which should make Leontes happy, but instead arises suspicion that the two may be engaged in an affair considering how quickly Hermione is able to change Polixenes' mind. The jealousy of Leontes sets in motion a series of events which threaten to ruin his entire kingdom and legacy. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

"Lives" is a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans by the ancient Greek historian Plutarch who lived during the first and second century AD. The work consists of twenty-three paired biographies, one Greek and one Roman, and four unpaired, which explore the influence of character on the lives and destinies of important persons of Ancient Greece and Rome. Rather than providing strictly historical accounts, Plutarch was most concerned with capturing his subjects common moral virtues and failings. This volume includes the complete "Lives" in which you will find the biographies of the following persons: Theseus, Romulus, Lycurgus, Numa Pompilius, Solon, Poplicola, Themistocles, Camillus, Pericles, Fabius, Alcibiades, Coriolanus, Timoleon, Æmilius Paulus, Pelopidas, Marcellus, Aristides, Marcus Cato, Philopœmen, Flamininus, Pyrrhus, Caius Marius, Lysander, Sylla, Cimon, Lucullus, Nicias, Crassus, Sertorius, Eumenes, Agesilaus, Pompey, Alexander, Cæsar, Phocion, Cato the younger, Agis, Cleomenes, Tiberius Gracchus, Caius Gracchus, Demosthenes, Cicero, Demetrius, Antony, Dion, Marcus Brutus, Aratus, Artaxerxes, Galba, and Otho. Plutarch's "Lives" remains today as one of the most important historical accounts of the classical period. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

One of the most controversial and inflammatory philosophers in western civilization, Friedrich Nietzsche summarized his extraordinary ideas in "The Twilight of the Idols." Appropriately subtitled "How One Philosophizes with a Hammer," this work is a polemic on many of the ideas of his day, especially what he describes as the 'The Problem of Socrates' and 'The Four Great Errors.' Through the process of self-deception Nietzsche discusses the tendency of man to confuse cause and effect. By examining the concepts of accountability and free will, as they relate to vice and morality, Nietzsche attacks the prevalent philosophical systems of his time. Written in just over a week, "The Twilight of the Idols," prepares readers for the principles addressed in "The Anti-Christ." Also written in 1888, it expands on Nietzsche's blatant disagreements with institutional Christianity. Written to deliberately provoke the reader, Nietzsche's philosophy is perhaps most shocking not in its frank negativity concerning nearly all aspects of humanity, but in the profound depth of its understanding of human nature and the optimism which subtly affirms the capabilities and possibilities of mankind. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is translated by Thomas Common with introductions by Willard Huntington Wright.

First published in "Cornhill Magazine" in 1878, "Daisy Miller" is Henry James' novella which concerns the courtship of its titular character, the beautiful young American girl Daisy Miller. While travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy is taken by the delightfulness of the continent, which unlike her brother, she finds superior to their hometown of Schenectady, New York. Her brother introduces her to Frederick Winterbourne, whom she agrees to visit the Château de Chillon with, drawing the disapproval of her family. Daisy further rejects the social conventions of the American expatriate community as she becomes increasingly intimate with Giovanelli, a young Italian of a lower class. Through the portrayal of Daisy, James seeks to contrast the differing attitudes of Europeans and Americans at the end of the 19th century, a theme he would revisit throughout his literary career. "Daisy Miller" was Henry James' first real literary success, one which would bring him immediate and widespread popularity, and which remains to this day as one of his most popular works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Martin W. Sampson.

Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is Thomas Hardy's tragic story of Michael Henchard, who over indulges in alcohol at a country fair and decides to auction off his wife and daughter to a sailor. When he recovers his sobriety, Mr. Henchard realizes his mistake, but it is too late to get his family back. Devastated by his impetuous actions he decides not to touch alcohol again for the next twenty-one years. The novel advances eighteen years to find the tee-totaling Henchard as the Mayor of Casterbridge and a successful grain merchant. When his wife and daughter return to town a precipitous decline in Henchard's fortune is set in motion. One of Hardy's Wessex novels, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is a classic story of the terrible consequences of rash decisions that can be made under the influence of too much alcohol. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper with an introduction by Joyce Kilmer.

Written by Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, "The History of the Church" is the pioneering 4th century work which details the chronological history of early Christianity from the time of Christ to Constantine. This monumental work of Christian history stands apart from other contemporary histories as the first full-length record of early Christianity from a Christian point of view. A fierce advocate for the Christian religion, Eusebius lived in Caesarea Maritima, a coastal city in modern day Israel, prior to and during the rule of Constantine. At the time of Eusebius' life his hometown had became a center of Christian learning, through the work of Christian theologian Origen, and his follower Pamphilus, Eusebius' own teacher. This made Eusebius an ideal candidate to make a record of Christianity's crucial first three hundred years. While sometimes criticized as biased and inaccurate "The History of the Church" nevertheless provides an indispensable perspective upon the foundations of the Christian church and religion. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of Arthur Cushman McGiffert.

Carl von Clausewitz entered the Prussian military at the age of twelve as a Lance-Corporal and would go on to obtain the rank of Major-General. In "On War", Clausewitz draws upon his experiences fighting in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, as well as his military studies at the "Kriegsakademie", or Prussian War Academy, which he would eventually become director of. Clausewitz employs a dialectical approach to military analysis, which leads to frequent modern misinterpretation. Described as both a realist and a romantic, Clausewitz argued that war could not simply be reduced to the logistics on the ground but rather called for rapid decision making by alert commanders responding to unexpected developments unfolding under the "fog of war". First published in 1832, "On War" is a mainstay of modern military colleges, a monumental work of military analysis and philosophy, which continues to be studied and interpreted to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the classic translation of Colonel J. J. Graham.

A classic of Christian apologetics, the branch of Christian theology which seeks to offer reasoned defenses for Christianity against its objectors, G. K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy" is one of the author's most enduring works. A self-described pagan and agnostic in his youth, Chesterton describes in this work how he came to believe in the importance of his own personal belief in Christianity. As he describes in his preface to the book, "It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it. The book is therefore arranged upon the positive principle of a riddle and its answer. It deals first with all the writer's own solitary and sincere speculations and then with all the startling style in which they were all suddenly satisfied by the Christian Theology." Meant as a companion to Chesterton's "Heretics" upon its first publication in 1908, this book makes the compelling argument that one needs faith to live happily in society. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Collected in this volume are five of Chekhov's most popular dramatic works: "Ivanov", "The Sea-Gull", "Uncle Vanya", "Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard". Firstly in "Ivanov" we find the taut psychological drama of Nikolai Ivanov, a man who is severely conflicted by the illness of his wife, his mounting debts, and his own internal desires. Secondly, "The Sea-Gull" is the story of the romantic and artistic conflicts between four main characters: Nina, the daughter of a wealthy landowner; Madame Irina Arkadina, a once leading actress; Konstantin Treplyov, her son and a playwright; and Trigorin, a well-known writer. Thirdly, "Uncle Vanya" is a melancholic portrait of a cast of characters examining their respective miseries and failures to accomplish in their lives that which they might have hoped to. Fourthly, "Three Sisters" is a story which concerns the lives of an aristocratic family, the Prozorovs, who struggle to search for meaning in the modern world. Lastly "The Cherry Orchard" is the tale of an aristocratic Russian woman and her family who return to their estate, a cherry orchard, to oversee its auction in order to pay the mortgage. Taken together this collection of dramas exhibits Chekhov's literary prowess and provides a brilliant portrait for the dramatic social environment of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. This edition is printed on a premium acid-free paper and follows the translations of Marian Fell and Julius West.

Written in the middle of the 14th century as the Bubonic Plague decimated the population of Europe, "The Decameron" is a satirical and allegorical collection of stories by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. Constructed as a series of "frame stories," or stories within a story, the narrative follows seven young women and three young men who take refuge in a secluded villa outside Florence in order to escape the Black Death. During ten evenings of their stay, each of travelers takes turns as storyteller to pass the time. Their stories relate tales of love, both happy and tragic, examples of the power of fortune and human will, and exhibitions of virtue, cleverness, and trickery. Boccaccio's work is not only important for its superb literary quality but for its examination of the changing cultural values that defined the transition from medieval times into the renaissance. The virtues of intelligence and sophistication of the increasingly urbanized and mercantilist Europe are shown as superior to the relative simplicity and piousness of the feudal system. More than the sum of its parts, "The Decameron" is a milestone in the history of European literature, an influential and enduring masterpiece. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is translated with an introduction by J. M. Rigg.

Originally published anonymously in 1914, "The Impersonal Life" is Joseph Benner's classic work of Christian spiritualism which was influenced by the New Thought movement, a religious movement of the later part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century. Central to the New Thought movement is the idea that God resides in all things and that through the power of positive thinking one can attract the success and contentment that one desires. It is Benner's intent to bring to the reader's attention "the true spirit that resides in every human being", that the individual is essentially inseparable from God's divinity. Benner argues that only by leading an impersonal life, a life which recognizes that God is represented in each and every one of us, one can truly experience the glory of God. The impersonal life is a life aware of the idea that one's identity is inseparable from the light of God and that through this acknowledgment one can experience the peace that emanates from all that is God's creation. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

A part of the "Vedas", a collection of ancient manuscripts which form the basis for the Hindu religion, the "Upanishads" are ancient Sanskrit texts which contain arguably the most important spiritual aspects of the Hindu faith. Of the more than two hundred "Upanishads", the ones of principal importance, Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Isa, Katha, Mundaka, Taittiriyaka, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and Maitriyana, are presented here in the translation of famed Indologist and Sanskritologist F. Max Muller, which first appeared in the "Sacred Books of the East" volumes I and XV. The central theme of the "Upanishads" is not that of a ritualistic systematic philosophy but as Muller describes to "know thy true self, that which underlines thine Ego, and find it and know it in the highest, the eternal Self, the One without a second, which underlies the whole world." Noted for its thorough annotations and scholarly detail this edition of the "Upanishads" will bring great insight to students of the Hindu faith. Muller's complete two volume translation is presented here in a single volume printed on a premium acid-free paper.