Acknowledgements Although I have had several opportunities to see a bull-fight, I have never seen one; but I needed a bull-fight in this book, and a trustworthy one will be found in it. I got it out of John Hay's Castilian Days, reducing and condensing it to fit the requirements of this small story. Mr. Hay and I were friends from early times, and if he were still with us he would not rebuke me for the liberty I have taken. The knowledge of military minutiae exhibited in this book will be found to be correct, but it is not mine; I took it from Army Regulations, ed. 1904; Hardy's...

Chapter I Hadleyburg enjoys the reputation of being an -incorruptible- town known for its responsible, honest people that are trained to avoid temptation. However, at some point the people of Hadleyburg manage to offend a passing stranger, and he vows to get his revenge by corrupting the town. The stranger's plan centers around a sack of gold (worth around $40,000) he drops off in Hadleyburg at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Richards, to be given to a man in the town who purportedly gave him some life-changing advice (and 20 dollars in a time of need) long ago. To identify the man, a letter with...

In London, about the middle of the sixteenth century, the young Edward, Prince of Wales and son of Henry VIII, aged about twelve years, would like to escape the etiquette of the Court and have fun outside with Children of his age. At the same time, Tom Canty, poor kid of the streets, dreams of escaping his condition. Fate brings together the two children who, taking advantage of a striking resemblance, exchange their respective "roles," not without risks, for the Count of Hertford conspires against the throne: he attempts to have the Prince murdered In favor of his escapade, and to take Tom,...

Introduction The novel begins with a -Translator's Preface, - a translator note on the -Peculiarity of Joan of Arc's History, - and a foreword by Sieur Louis de Conte. The -Translator's Preface- offers a condensed overview of Joan of Arc's life, with heavy praise (-the character of Joan of Arc ... occupies the loftiest possible to human attainment-). The -Peculiarity- note explains that Joan of Arc's life is preserved in court documents and that the particulars are provided by Louis de Conte, who, the Translator assures us, is reliable. The Foreword is Sieur de Conte's writing from 1492 (Joan...

The American Claimant is an 1892 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. Twain wrote the novel with the help of phonographic dictation, the first author (according to Twain himself) to do so. This was also (according to Twain) an attempt to write a book without mention of the weather, the first of its kind in fictitious literature. Indeed, all the weather is contained in an appendix, at the back of the book, which the reader is encouraged to turn to from time to time. The American Claimant is a comedy of mistaken identities and multiple role switches. Its cast of characters include...

Book Two: In Court and Camp Book Two begins with the elimination of Joan's hindrances. With support from her Visions, Joan leaves the village at age 17 to request control of the army from the king. In Chapter IX, after Joan successfully defends herself in trial for witchcraft, the King appoints Joan -General-in-Chief of armies.- In Chapter X, Joan begins to organize her campaign, writing a letter to the English commanders at Orleans, demanding them to vacate France. The English refuse, and Joan attacks immediately and frankly despite the generals and counselors advice that France remain on...

Following the Equator (sometimes titled More Tramps Abroad) is a non-fiction travelogue published by American author Mark Twain in 1897. Twain was practically bankrupt in 1894 due to a failed investment into a "revolutionary" typesetting machine. In an attempt to extricate himself from debt of $100,000 (equivalent of about $2.5 million in 2010) he undertook a tour of the British Empire in 1895, a route chosen to provide numerous opportunities for lectures in English. Themes The book is an account of Twain's travel published in 1897. It is a social commentary, critical of racism towards...

Following the Equator (sometimes titled More Tramps Abroad) is a non-fiction travelogue published by American author Mark Twain in 1897. Twain was practically bankrupt in 1894 due to a failed investment into a "revolutionary" typesetting machine. In an attempt to extricate himself from debt of $100,000 (equivalent of about $2.5 million in 2010) he undertook a tour of the British Empire in 1895, a route chosen to provide numerous opportunities for lectures in English. Themes The book is an account of Twain's travel published in 1897. It is a social commentary, critical of racism towards...

Extract: I I have committed sins, of course; but I have not committed enough of them to entitle me to the punishment of reduction to the bread and water of ordinary literature during six years when I might have been living on the fat diet spread for the righteous in Professor Dowden's Life of Shelley, if I had been justly dealt with. During these six years I have been living a life of peaceful ignorance. I was not aware that Shelley's first wife was unfaithful to him, and that that was why he deserted her and wiped the stain from his sensitive honor by entering into soiled relations with...

The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress is a travel book by American author Mark Twain, published in 1869, which humorously chronicles what Twain called his "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered vessel Quaker City (formerly USS Quaker City), through Europe and the Holy Land, with a group of American travelers in 1867. It was the best-selling of Twain's works during his lifetime, as well as one of the best-selling travel books of all time. A major theme of the book, insofar as a book can have a theme when assembled and revised from the newspaper columns Twain sent back...