Though American author Winston Churchill often focused on historical events as inspiration for his novels, his later work more often explored the way that events conspired to shape his characters' opinions and values.
Early in his literary career, English writer Leonard Merrick gained a reputation as a serious writer who tackled tough social issues with unflinching realism.
Abomo, eine Witwe, die im Süden Kameruns im Dorf ihres verstorbenen Mannes lebt, erfährt eines Tages, dass ihr ältester Sohn im Wald erschossen worden ist.
It was the best of times,it was the worst of times,it was the age of wisdom,it was the age of foolishness,it was the epoch of belief,it was the epoch of incredulity,it was the season of Light,it was the season of Darkness,it was the spring of hope,it was the winter of despair,we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Renowned journalist and essayist John Kendrick Bangs worked at the helm of many of the most important news magazines of his day -- and all the while, he was submitting his own short humor pieces, poems, and other blurbs to mass-market publications, often anonymously or using a pen name.
Most of us tend to think that money solves everything, but for Roland Bleke, the star of the short stories collected in A Man of Means, overnight success -- and the windfall that accompanies it -- brings all sorts of unexpected problems.
Today, Ambrose Bierce is best remembered for his blazingly satirical take on politics and society in general, which was probably best encapsulated in The Devil's Dictionary.
Originally intended as a kind of a parable for businessmen, the short story A Message to Garcia has achieved a level of cult popularity among some groups, including military service members.
Prolific author and political activist Upton Sinclair throws the upheaval of the early twentieth century into sharp relief in 100%: The Story of a Patriot.
Though a relatively short story, "e;A Man of Business"e; is an important component of Honore de Balzac's vast story cycle The Human Comedy, involving many of the recurring characters from the series and tying up a number of loose ends.
If you can't get enough of action-adventure stories of pioneer life in the American West, dive into this tale from Bret Harte, one of the most renowned documenters of the era.
The grass-plot before the jail, in Prison Lane, on a certain summer morning, not less than two centuries ago, was occupied by a pretty large number of the inhabitants of Boston, all with their eyes intently fastened on the iron-clamped oaken door.
In this delightful reimagining of the age-old fairytale, lovely but desperately poor Marilla struggles with a massive workload in her job as a domestic servant.
Known for his keen observations and finely drawn characters, Honore de Balzac is regarded as one of the forerunners of the literary realism movement that swept Europe in the nineteenth century.
War and Peace is a literary work mixed with chapters on history and philosophy by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published serially, then published in its entirety in 1869.
Regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the masters of English fiction, Joseph Conrad is known for novels and works of fiction such as The Heart of Darkness, Victory, and Lord Jim.
Henri-Louis Bergson was a French scholar and philosopher who would eventually come to be recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century.
Theosophy is an ecumenical faith tradition that regards all religions as striving toward the same shared purpose of engendering love, cooperation, unity, and fellow-feeling among all of the world's cultures.
England, 1903: In einem beschaulichen Örtchen im Norden des Landes arbeitet Margaret Lounsbury im Hutgeschäft ihrer Großmutter, während sie sich gleichzeitig liebevoll um ihre jüngere Schwester Violet kümmert.
Elia Wilkinson Peattie was a prolific fiction writer who detailed her experiences as a woman in the West in dozens of essays, short stories, and novels.
