William Michael Rossetti (1829 1919) made himself the diarist, chronicler and champion of one of the most creative Victorian families. This two-volume memoir of 1906 provides an unparalleled glimpse into the dynamics of the Rossettis, covering his own childhood and that of his siblings, the genesis of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and friendships with such outstanding figures as Morris, Burne-Jones, Swinburne and the Brownings. In fact, many of the members of the Victorian art and literary world make an appearance at some point in these volumes. But what is so engaging about the work is the...

William Michael Rossetti (1829 1919) made himself the diarist, chronicler and champion of one of the most creative Victorian families. This two-volume memoir of 1906 provides an unparalleled glimpse into the dynamics of the Rossettis, covering his own childhood and that of his siblings, the genesis of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and friendships with such outstanding figures as Morris, Burne-Jones, Swinburne and the Brownings. In fact, many of the members of the Victorian art and literary world make an appearance at some point in these volumes. But what is so engaging about the work is the...

A fascinating journey into history and literature, "The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori" is Polidori's account of his travels from London to Switzerland with Lord Byron, an English poet and one of the leading figures of the Romantic Movement in the early 19th century. In the summer of 1816, Lord Byron and his guests, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Godwin (Shelley) and her half-sister Claire Clermont, and Dr. John William Polidori were staying at the Villa Diodati, by Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The group decided to have a friendly competition to see who could write the best horror story. It was...