LITMIR.BIZ

In his brief but productive lifetime, Stephen Crane (1871–1900) wrote vividly and sensitively about a variety of subjects. In his work he displayed a rare ability to combine astute characterization, colorful settings, and an ironic tone in memorable tales offering perceptive explorations of human psychology and motivation.He is perhaps famous as author of The Red Badge of Courage, the quintessential Civil War classic. However, Crane wrote seven other stories involving this monumental conflict. All are gathered together in this volume. They include «A Mystery of Heroism,» «A Gray Sleeve,» «Three Miraculous Soldiers,» «The Little Regiment,» «An Indiana Campaign,» «An Episode of War,» and «The Veteran,» which features Henry Fleming, protagonist of The Red Badge of Courage, years after the war.Attractive and sturdily bound, this modestly priced edition will find an enthusiastic audience among admirers of Crane's work, students of American literature, and Civil War buffs alike. All will enjoy the work of an author now recognized as one of the most innovative, influential writers of his generation — an acknowledged master of the short story.

Подробнее

Set in 18th-century Scotland, this brooding historical romance unfolds amid the Jacobite Rebellion. A struggle between good and evil begins in the old Scottish castle of Durrisdeer &#8212; the ancestral home of the Durie clan &#8212; where James Durie, Master of Ballantrae, persists in his lifelong rivalry with his younger brother as well as his relentless quest for the family fortune.<BR>From Durrisdeer, the fast-paced adventure shifts to sea voyages and encounters with pirates, intrigue at the French court and in India, and an attempt to recover buried treasure in New York's Adirondack Mountains &#8212; all leading to a shocking climax in the American wilderness. An engrossing tale played out against the backdrop of three continents, <I>The Master of Ballantrae</I> stands among the most vivid and exciting of Robert Louis Stevenson' tales.

Подробнее

The Koran is the sacred scripture of Islam, a collection of revelations that Mohammed, the Prophet, said he had received from God (through the angel Gabriel) in seventh-century Arabia. Mohammed preached these revelations in rhymed verses that comprised suras, or chapters. Shortly after his death, his followers published the suras as the Koran (an adaptation of a word meaning «scripture lesson»), which today is considered one of the great sacred books of the world. Deeply moralistic, full of passion and fervor, the suras deal with such topics as the omniscience and majesty of God, death and judgment, the proper conduct of the faithful, stories of previous prophets, kindness to orphans, and much more.The complete Koran consists of 11 suras &#8212; arranged from longest to shortest &#8212; plus an opening prayer and two closing charms. The selections in the present volume were carefully chose to give a cross-section of the whole and to illustrate Mohammed's teaching as it developed from the rhapsodic style of his early Meccan period to the workaday legislative material of the Medinan period. This excellent English translation replaces the original verse form with accurate, highly readable prose, making a treasury of eternal wisdom from the Koran accessible to both the novice and the serious student.

Подробнее

Legal drama at its finest, these are the majority decisions from the most influential Supreme Court cases in United States history. Starting with the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, which laid the foundation for the Supreme Court's current power, these thirteen far-reaching cases include: Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sandford, 1856; Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896; Brown v. Board of Education, 1954; Miranda v. Arizona, 1966; Roe v. Wade, 1973; Bush v. Gore, 2000; and many other important decisions. In most cases, the majority and dissenting opinions are included while concurring opinions are omitted. Brief introductions precede each case.

Подробнее

Celebrated for their unique poetic sensibility and wondrous way with words, the Irish have produced a rich heritage of great poetry. This volume attests to the Irish love of language, spanning fourteen centuries of literary history and featuring works by more than 60 of the Emerald Isle's most distinguished poets.This comprehensive selection of well-known poems by distinguished writers includes «Verses for Women Who Cry Apples, etc.» by Jonathan Swift; J. Sheridan LeFanu's «A Drunkard's Address to a Bottle of Whiskey»; William Allingham's «Four Ducks on a Pond»; «Requiescat» by Oscar Wilde; W. B. Yeats' «The Song of Wandering Aengus» and «Easter 1916»; «Forgiveness» by A. E.; «The Hills of Cualann» by Joseph Campbell; «An Old Woman of the Roads» by Padraic Colum; «In the Poppy Field» by James Stephens; and many others.Also included is a generous sampling of memorable works by lesser known poets: «Lament for Thomas Davis» by Samuel Ferguson; Dion Boucicault's «The Wearing of the Green»; «The Wee Lassie's First Luve» by G. F. Savage-Armstrong; Francis A. Fahy's «Little Mary Cassidy»; Sidney Royse Lysaght's «The Penalty of Love»; and many more, including the anonymous «A Confession of Forgiveness,» «Pearl of the White Breast,» and «Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye.»Students, teachers, and all poetry lovers will cherish this fine collection and its diverse cross-section of Irish poetry, from the seventh century to modern times.

Подробнее

"It depends on the Jews themselves whether this political pamphlet remains for the present a political romance. If the present generation is too dull to understand it rightly, a future, finer and better generation will arise to understand it. The Jews who wish for a State shall have it, and they will deserve to have it."&#8212;PrefaceTheodor Herzl's passionate advocacy of the founding of a Jewish state grew out of his conviction that Jews would never be assimilated into&nbsp;the populations in which they lived. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1860, Herzl encountered anti-Semitism when he attended a scientific secondary school. Later, as a newspaper correspondent in Paris, he was shocked and dismayed by the anti-Semitic prejudice surrounding the notorious Dreyfus affair (Herzl said in later years that it was the&nbsp;Dreyfus affair that had made a Zionist out of him). Herzl concluded that the only solution for the majority of Jews would&nbsp;be organized emigration to a state of their own.He discussed the political and historic rationale for such a homeland in this extraordinary and influential book, first published as a pamphlet, Der Judenstaat, in Vienna in 1896. The Jewish question, he wrote, was not a social or religious question but a&nbsp;national question that could be solved&nbsp;only by making it «a political world question to be discussed and settled by the civilized nations of the world in council.» In 1897, at a world congress of Zionism, he declared, «We want&nbsp;to lay the foundation stone for the house which will become the refuge of the Jewish nation. Zionism is the return to Judaism even before the return to the land of Israel.»The present volume is a complete and unabridged republication of The Jewish State, reproduced from the edition published by the American Zionist Emergency Council, New York, 1946. Translated by Sylvie D'Avigdor, it includes an introduction by Louis Lipsky, and a biography of Herzl based on the work of Alex Bein. For Jews, scholars, historians, anyone seeking to understand the history of the 20th century, The Jewish State is indispensable reading. This edition makes it widely available in an inexpensive high-quality format.

Подробнее

The President's inaugural address reflects the current state of the nation and offers insights into the coming administration. This collection features the voices of twenty Chief Executives, from George Washington's 1789 oration to the 2009 speech by Barack Obama. Highlights include John F. Kennedy's exhortation to «Ask not what your country can do for you,» Franklin D. Roosevelt's assertion that «the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,» and Abraham Lincoln's wartime vision of «a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.»An ideal resource for students of political science and American history, this compendium of stirring speeches will inspire readers of every political persuasion.

Подробнее

Here is Oscar Wilde's most brilliant tour de force, a witty and buoyant comedy of manners that has delighted millions in countless productions since its first performance in London's St. James' Theatre on February 14, 1895. The Importance of Being Earnest is celebrated not only for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot, but for its inspired dialogue, rich with scintillating epigrams still savored by all who enjoy artful conversation.From the play's effervescent beginnings in Algernon Moncrieff's London flat to its hilarious denouement in the drawing room of Jack Worthing's country manor in Hertfordshire, this comic masterpiece keeps audiences breathlessly anticipating a new bon mot or a fresh twist of plot moment to moment.

Подробнее

This anthology comprises some of history's most hateful public addresses, consisting of speeches invoking racism, genocide, anti-Semitism, terrorism, and other extreme views. Selections range from an oration by Robespierre during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution to Osama bin Laden's threats related to the terrorist actions of 9/11.Additional speeches include Andrew Jackson's Seventh Annual Message to Congress in 1835, promoting the Indian Removal Act; Jefferson Davis' 1861 announcement of Southern secession; and Joseph R. McCarthy's «Wheeling» speech of 1950, in which the senator claimed knowledge of Communist loyalists within the U. S. government. Other speakers include Hitler, Mussolini, Mao Tse-Tung, and Stalin. Each speech features a brief introduction that places it in historical context.

Подробнее

This witty, influential work by one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance satirizes the shortcomings of the upper classes and religious institutions of the time. The most effective of all Erasmus's writings &#8212; ripe with allusions, vignettes, and caricatures &#8212; the literary gem was not only an extremely intelligent and articulate response to pretentiousness of all sorts, it also proved to be spiritual dynamite, leaving monastic brothers and clergymen the objects of universal laughter.The book's purported narrator, the goddess Folly, proclaims herself to be the daughter of Youth and Wealth, nursed by Drunkenness and Ignorance. She is accompanied by such followers as Self-love, Pleasure, Flattery, and Sound Sleep.A clever mix of drollery and fantasy, fast-paced and lighthearted in tone, the work has proved to be a lively and valuable commentary on modern times. It remains, according to the great Dutch historian John Huizinga, «a masterpiece of humour and wise irony &#8230; something that no one else could have given to the world.»

Подробнее