First published in 1653, Izaak Walton's "The Compleat Angler" is a classic and much-loved treatise on the art of fishing. Immediately popular after its publication, "The Compleat Angler" was reprinted and updated numerous times by Walton. Written as a conversation between the fictional characters of the experienced angler Piscator and his student Viator, which was changed to a hunter named Venator in later editions, the treatise is part an instructional...

It is the story of Sterne's fictional travel through both countries, particularly France. Sterne made two trips within the continent, in 1762-64 and 1765-66, but the book is not about his errands, but those of parson Yorick's (a character in "Tristram Shandy"). With a less acid and outrageous humor than in his previous work, Sterne anyway mixes the picaresque with an ironic and, frequently, hilarious philosophical irony. Yorick begins by trying to...

First published in 1689, "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" is British philosopher John Locke's important and influential exposition on the foundation of human knowledge and understanding. Arranged into four books, the first book begins by rejecting the notion of innate ideas proposed by Descartes and proposes instead that humans are born as blank slates. Book two argues that all knowledge is derived from experience and reflection. Locke also...

Scottish lord Nigel Olifaunt is more than a little naive. So when he arrives in London, he's soon sucked into the chaos of the big city. Pinballing between a lively cast of petty criminals, Templers, and loan sharks, Nigel has to keep his eyes on the ultimate prize: an audience with King James I. Set in the period following the Union of the Crowns, "The Fortunes of Nigel" takes us into the heart of 17th century London—a sometimes lawless metropolis...

"Kenilworth" is a historical novel by Walter Scott that centres on the royal court romance, intrigue, and mystery between Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester. Once again, Scott talks a lot about historical places – here, the Kenilworth Castle, and describes them in perfect detail, adding to the overall air of authenticity of his narrative. A compelling storytelling and the enjoyable, often humorous and heroic adventures makes this novel...

"In the figure of the half-starved Oliver in the workhouse asking for 'more', Dickens created the nineteenth century's most famous image of protest against cruelty. Yet Oliver Twist develops from a topical satire on the inhumanity of the New Poor Law into something greater. What unfolds is a powerful and violent struggle between Good and Evil, as Oliver becomes ensnared in the labyrinth of London and the nightmare world of Fagin. With its macabre...

"Originally published in 1930, this book contains a series of extracts from Thomas Carlyle's influential three-volume work The French Revolution: A History (1837). The text was compiled with the intention of providing a 'representation both of Carlyle's delineation of the Revolution, and of his poetic scheme of history'. Continuity of narrative is ensured through the use of short explanatory link passages which are inserted between extracts. A detailed...