Originally published in 1813, The Life of Horatio, Lord Nelson is one of the classics of early biography. The author, Robert Southey, was appointed Poet Laureate of England in the same year he published this book. Still regarded as England's greatest naval hero, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson is here depicted by a contemporary biographer, with access to many of the people who knew Nelson intimately.

Thalaba the Destroyer is an 1801 epic poem composed by Robert Southey. The origins of the poem can be traced to Southey's school boy days, but he did not begin to write the poem until he finished composing Madoc at the age of 25. Thalaba the Destroyer was completed while Southey travelled in Portugal. When the poem was finally published by the publisher Longman, it suffered from poor sales and only half of the copies were sold by 1804. The poem is divided into twelve "books" with irregular stanza structures and unrhymed lines of poetry. The story describes how a group of sorcerers work to...