The life of William Shakespeare, arguably the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, is relatively unknown. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565, possibly on the 23rd April, St. George's Day, and baptised there on 26th April. Little is known of his education and the first firm facts to his life relate to his marriage, aged 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26 and from the nearby village of Shottery. Anne gave birth to their first son six months later. Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors began a procession of real heavyweights that were to emanate from his pen in a career of just over twenty years in which 37 plays were written and his reputation forever established. This early skill was recognised by many and by 1594 the Lord Chamberlain's Men were performing his works. With the advantage of Shakespeare's progressive writing they rapidly became London's leading company of players, affording him more exposure and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, a royal patent by the new king, James I, at which point they changed their name to the King's Men. By 1598, and despite efforts to pirate his work, Shakespeare's name was well known and had become a selling point in its own right on title pages. No plays are attributed to Shakespeare after 1613, and the last few plays he wrote before this time were in collaboration with other writers, one of whom is likely to be John Fletcher who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King's Men. William Shakespeare died two months later on April 23rd, 1616, survived by his wife, two daughters and a legacy of writing that none have since yet eclipsed.

John Galsworthy was born at Kingston Upon Thames in Surrey, England, on August 14th 1867 to a wealthy and well established family. His schooling was at Harrow and New College, Oxford before training as a barrister and being called to the bar in 1890. However, Law was not attractive to him and he travelled abroad becoming great friends with the novelist Joseph Conrad, then a first mate on a sailing ship. In 1895 Galsworthy began an affair with Ada Nemesis Pearson Cooper, the wife of his cousin Major Arthur Galsworthy. The affair was kept a secret for 10 years till she at last divorced and they married on 23rd September 1905. Galsworthy first published in 1897 with a collection of short stories entitled "e;The Four Winds"e;. For the next 7 years he published these and all works under his pen name John Sinjohn. It was only upon the death of his father and the publication of "e;The Island Pharisees"e; in 1904 that he published as John Galsworthy. His first play, The Silver Box in 1906 was a success and was followed by "e;The Man of Property"e; later that same year and was the first in the Forsyte trilogy. Whilst today he is far more well know as a Nobel Prize winning novelist then he was considered a playwright dealing with social issues and the class system. Here we publish Villa Rubein, a very fine story that captures Galsworthy's unique narrative and take on life of the time. He is now far better known for his novels, particularly The Forsyte Saga, his trilogy about the eponymous family of the same name. These books, as with many of his other works, deal with social class, upper-middle class lives in particular. Although always sympathetic to his characters, he reveals their insular, snobbish, and somewhat greedy attitudes and suffocating moral codes. He is now viewed as one of the first from the Edwardian era to challenge some of the ideals of society depicted in the literature of Victorian England. In his writings he campaigns for a variety of causes, including prison reform, women's rights, animal welfare, and the opposition of censorship as well as a recurring theme of an unhappy marriage from the women's side. During World War I he worked in a hospital in France as an orderly after being passed over for military service. He was appointed to the Order of Merit in 1929, after earlier turning down a knighthood, and awarded the Nobel Prize in 1932 though he was too ill to attend. John Galsworthy died from a brain tumour at his London home, Grove Lodge, Hampstead on January 31st 1933. In accordance with his will he was cremated at Woking with his ashes then being scattered over the South Downs from an aeroplane.

Robert Jephson was born in Ireland in 1736, the son of Archdeacon John Jephson. His education was at Ryder's grammar school and then the Reverend Roger Ford's school before he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin in 1751. He left without a degree.Jephson now joined the British Army with a commission in the 73rd Regiment of Foot. Among his postings was one to the Caribbean. He left, for health reasons and retired with the rank of Captain.An appointment was offered as master of the horse to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Whilst in this office he wrote and had published, in the Mercury newspaper, a collection of articles that defended the lord-lieutenant's administration. These were later published in book form as 'The Bachelor', or 'Speculations of Jeoffry Wagstaffe'. Jepson held the office under twelve successive viceroys and gained a pension of GBP300, which was later doubled.He entered the Irish House of Commons in 1773 and sat for St Johnstown (County Longford) until 1776. Between 1777 and 1783, he served as Member of Parliament for Old Leighlin and thereafter represented Granard from 1783 to 1790In 1775 he added playwright, dramatist and poet to his military and political career strands. His plays gathered much interest. Among them his tragedy 'Braganza' was successfully performed at Drury Lane in 1775, 'Conspiracy' in 1796, 'The Law of Lombardy' in 1779, and 'The Count of Narbonne' (adapted from Horace Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto') at Covent Garden in 1781. In 1788 he published 'Extempore Ludicrous Miltonic Verses' and, in 1794, the heroic poem 'Roman Portraits', and 'The Confessions of Jacques Baptiste Couteau', a satire on the excesses of the French Revolution. Robert Jephson died at Blackrock, near Dublin, on the 31st of May 1803.

Bjornstjerne Bjornson (1832 - 1910), the third man to ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature. However when considering the quality of his writing he is perhaps not as celebrated as he should be. Being also a Nobel Laureate in Literature, Bjornson has also been credited with many other impressive successes. These include writing the lyrics for the Norwegian national anthem, mastering all forms of literature; poetry, novels, short stories, essays and playwriting and being elevated to one of the Four Greats; the name for the classic Norwegian writers, others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie and Alexander Kielland. Here we look at one of his many plays. Much of his work was nearly as popular in his native Norway as Ibsen's and we now bring you these masterful works in English for you to compare. Our imprint Stage Door offers both Ibsen's and Bjornson's works in English.

Can British magick survive? As the pace of modern life accelerates, the old ways wither and die. But to the Society for Magickal Heritage, that just isn’t good enough. The Witch: Friend to the unicorns, lover of pancakes, and wielder of potent artefacts, star agent Cordelia “Ves” Vesper will stop at nothing — okay, very little — to drag ancient magicks back out of the grave. The Waymaster: New recruit Jay Patel has some rare and powerful arts at his disposal. With a penchant for old books and motorbikes in near equal measure, he’s a force to be reckoned with. The Necromancer: Prankster Zareen Dalir may be high-spirited but she’s got a darker side. A much, much darker side. Head of the Toil and Trouble division, Zar’s the best kind of bad news. The Baron: Is Baron Alban the handsomest troll alive or... forget it, yes. Yes, he is. But he’s not just a pretty face. With the powerful Troll Court at his back and a smile to slay an army, Alban’s a staunch ally. Join these four champions, the enigmatic “Milady” of the Society, and the sentient house they call Home as they fight to keep magick alive! This compendium brings you the first three wild adventures all in one: The Road to Farringale, Toil and Trouble, and The Striding Spire.? Praise for the Modern Magick series: 'Charming, quirky, and funny.' 'Enjoyable and imaginative fantasy series with whimsical overtones... A fresh magical world.' 'This is an incredibly entertaining story... help, I'm running out of superlatives.' 'The writing is excellent and fun... a rousing, gripping adventure. ' '...delightfully fun, whimsical and engaging, with great characters and settings.' 'If you like Jodi Taylor's St Mary's books, this is for you.' '...quirky and fun and I couldn't ask for more... Her usual unique charm.' ''...characters that are easy to love, an invisible boss and a house that seems to have a mind of it's own. I devoured the book in one sitting.' 'Written with charm and intelligence, this series is a delight to read!' '...the pages just seem to fly by! Can't wait to read the next one.' '...the entire quirky cast is fun and endearing... our heroine is a delightful companion for adventure.'

The greatest gift to us is caring. What would the world be like without someone to care for or to care with? Would love survive if we don't care? From the world of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors comes a world that can be funny, heartwarming, strange, or sad. Or not what we expect. Nominated – 2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Shortlist (anthology/Best Related Work) 2018 Alberta Book Publishing Award Shortlist (Best Speculative Fiction) Finalist One story selected for Best of British Science Fiction 2017 (ed. by Donna Scott) One story selected for Best Indie Speculative Fiction, Vol. 1 (Bards & Sages Publishing) Five stories on Tangent Online Recommended Reading List 2017 One story nominated – 2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Short Fiction Finalist One story – 2018 WSFA Small Press Award Finalist One story nominated – 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Shortlist Three stories – 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Longlist How can a henchman keep up with a mischievous retired supervillain? Can a dog help a hockey player score again? Will an odd couple with a zany sense of adventure and diminished capabilities survive an earthquake? Where does a stray cat go to find love every night? What secret does a pious monk have with a cargo of sleeping human? Will terrorism in space take out a young apprentice and a blind welder? What does an oracle tell a lover about her final days? Can a "heart of gold" prevent a soldier from crossing the enemy line with the governor's children? These, and many more. Featuring Original Stories by Colleen Anderson, Charlotte Ashley, Brenda Cooper, Ian Creasey, A.M. Dellamonica, Bev Geddes, Claire Humphrey, Sandra Kasturi, Tyler Keevil, Juliet Marillier, Matt Moore, Heather Osborne, Nisi Shawl, Alex Shvartsman, Karina Sumner-Smith, Kate Story, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, James Van Pelt, Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, Edward Willett, Christie Yant & Caroline M. Yoachim With Introduction by Dominik Parisien Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law Anthologies in this series (Strangers Among Us, The Sum of Us, Where the Stars Rise) have been recommended by Publishers Weekly, Booklist (American Library Association), Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Locus, Foreword Reviews, and Quill & Quire. REVIEWS for THE SUM OF US “A strong collection . . . make it worth reading.” –Publishers Weekly “Definitely consider buying a copy, if not for yourself, then for someone who is serving as a caretaker. At the very least, it should make us all appreciate caretakers for all they do.” –Lightspeed Magazine “Thought provoking page-turners.” –Tangent “These stories take a broad exploration of what care can mean . . .” —Speculating Canada (Derek Newman-Stille)

When the ties of loyalty are severed, whom do you trust?Part of?The Love and War Series, novels set during the 20th century's darkest years. World War Two. It is June 1940. France has surrendered and the Nazi German occupation begins. A small village in northern France awaits the arrival of a garrison of conquering Germans.?To their dismay, 16-year-old Pierre and his parents, Georges and Sandrine, are forced to accommodate a German major, Major Hurtzberger. He is the enemy within their midst; the invader of their country, and, more pertinently, the unwanted lodger within their home. The problem, however, is that the German is annoyingly pleasant. The major, with a son of his own, empathises with Pierre in a way Georges has never been able to. Immediately the two of them find a bond, leaving Pierre confused and his understanding of good and bad, of black and white, shattered.?But then, Georges, Pierre’s father, is arrested by the Gestapo and taken away. Forced to confront the prejudices of others, as well as his own, Pierre has to ask where his loyalties lie, and who are his friends and who, exactly, is the enemy.?Desperate to prove himself a man, Pierre is continually thwarted by those he trusts – his parents, the villagers and especially Claire, the girl he so desires.?Pierre’s quest brings to the fore a traumatic event in the family’s past, a tragedy never forgotten but never mentioned. Only by confronting his trauma, can Pierre find the answer and prove he is a man in a country at war.From the founder of the History In An Hour series, comes another powerful work of WW2 historical fiction that will remain with you long after you’ve turned the final page.“Really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and their involvement in the story.”“This is a book with difference. I will look for more books by this author.”“Colley draws his characters with fine lines, illustrating both the brutality and compassion shown by individuals on both sides of this war.”“Told with great poignancy.”Historical fiction with heart and drama.

Three thrilling tales that transcend time: The Long Commute Shon Howard and others like him go to work every day to reverse the ravages of climate change, pollution, and other evils. His daughter’s life depends on it. Because in Shon’s world, mistakes of past centuries can be corrected by visiting key moments in time. As long as he doesn’t get caught. A Taste Of Time Gabby Dufour hates the blueberries that grow over the site of her home town, destroyed in a fire decades ago. Then young berry-loving Amanda comes to visit, with inexplicable knowledge about the town, and Gabby is forced to wonder if there’s more to blueberries than meets the tongue. (First published in On Spec #88 vol 24 no 1, August 2014.) Hurricane The crew of a Hurricane Hunter aircraft is assigned to monitor an experiment designed to collect the awesome energy of a powerful storm. When the project succeeds too well, nowhere is beyond its destructive reach. Praise for Scott Overton: “A storyteller of boundless skill…a writer to watch.” “A gifted wordsmith.”

Meet Beth Azen, Elenda Murphy, and Mary Robbins. Three women not that different from any other. From mountains to city, single to widowed. Struggling with ghosts and family heritage. Facing hopes and fears of the future. Ordinary lives. Ordinary problems.? What happens when ordinary gets more than a little strange? Includes the novellas Songs in the Mountain, Legacy of the Land, and In the Pines.

In the glittering, steam-driven high society of Waldron’s Gate, no one needs to dream. Karl Gilmore spends his days caring for people with broken?minds. The Dream Thief fulfills twisted fantasies. The seductive lure of irresistible power threatens to destroy all they both?hold dear. A wildly imaginative tale of the seedy underbelly of the perfect Engine World city and beyond. An epic adventure of airships and monsters, love and heartbreak. An Engine World novel.

Now a USA Today bestseller Join the five McCabe siblings on their journeys to the dark and dangerous side of love! An intense, exhilarating collection of romantic thrillers you won’t want to miss. This collection includes all the books in this new spinoff series. Don't Stop Me, Don't Catch Me, Don't Run From Me, Don't Hide From Me, and the newest addition Claudia's story in Don't Leave Me

Someone saves your life. Now you wish they hadn't. World War Two, summer, 1942, Nazi-occupied France. A nervous young resistance fighter sits on a train. The Gestapo demand his papers. An older woman, sitting opposite, intervenes.Paris, 1968. The young man is now the most successful music conductor in France. Yet, 26 years on, he still wonders why the woman on the train saved him that fateful day? He knows he owes her everything. Unexpectedly, he receives a letter from her, begging him to come to her aid. Honour-bound, he gladly offers to return the favour.? But the woman hides a dark and terrible secret, which, if exposed, threatens to destroy them both. Torn between those he loves and his sense of honour, his life rapidly spirals out of control.?Who exactly was The Woman on the Train?Historical fiction with heart and drama.Part of?The Love and War Series, novels set during the 20th century's darkest years.Also included,?The Last Act of War, a heart-rending short story.?

The eight short stories in this collection look at the ties that bind and the transformations they provoke. Whether bound by love, blood, or violent circumstance, the characters in these tales are fundamentally altered by those closest to them … and not always for the better. ? Two mothers become entwined in revenge against a violent man, with unexpected consequences. A roving gang of sirens finds themselves challenged from without and within. In a last, desperate act of love, a young surgeon goes under the knife. And in a distant territory, a mother and daughter struggle to survive—but the aid they summon is far more dangerous. ? At turns brutal and tender, subtle and shocking, these stories blend realism, fantasy, and horror to create an unsettling—and unforgettable—experience.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, is considered as one of the worlds top book classics. It was initially published in 1813 and was the authors second novel which also became her most popular novel. The scene is set in England in early 19th century with 20 year old Elizabeth Bennett, the second eldest of five daughters developing a relationship with the single, handsome and wealthy gentleman, Mr Darcy. Elizabeth endures issues of upbringing, independence, social manners, morality, education and marriage within a high aristocrat society. As their love unfolds, Mr Darcy overcomes his pride of being with someone of a lower social class and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice of Mr Darcy. A classic love story and one of the most famous novels in English literature.This digital edition is beautifully formatted with an active Table of Contents that goes directly to each chapter. Mermaids Classics, an imprint of Mermaids Publishing brings the very best of old book classics to a modern era of digital reading by producing high quality books in ebook format.

Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Bronte (1818 -1848) is a classic novel initially published under the pen name Ellis Bell. The story is about the love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff who is her fathers adopted son and the controversies that arise as a result. Mermaids Classics, an imprint of Mermaids Publishing brings the very best of old classic literature to a modern era of digital reading by producing high quality books in ebook format. All of the Mermaids Classics epublications are reproductions of classic antique books that were originally published in print format, mostly over a century ago and are now republished in digital format as ebooks. Begin to build your collection of digital books by looking for more literary gems from Mermaids Classics.

《苏辙诗编年笺注》二十四卷，宋苏辙撰，蒋宗许、袁津琥、陈默笺注。是书以苏辙本人编定的《栾城集》、《栾城后集》、《栾城三集》为基础，析出其中的诗歌部分，参考各种年谱编年而成。底本为明代清梦轩刻本，校以今天可见的其余重要的苏辙集版本，如宋刻《苏文定公文集》（存四十六卷）残本、宋刻递修本《苏文定公文集》（存十卷）、宋刻递修本《栾城集》（存二十一卷）、日藏宋刻《类编颍滨先生大全文集》等。全书卷次大体依照底本顺序。间有辑佚者，列于相应诗歌前后。其系年考订置于注释条，略作解题说明，其余则为语词和典故的注释。如存有相关的倡和诗，亦附录之。书后附录传记、孙汝听《年表》、遗事（包括碑铭之类）、目录序跋、参考书目、篇目索引等。本书资料搜罗全备，系年准确，校勘精审，注释详细，为国家社科基金重大委托项目《巴蜀全书》子课题、四川省社科联2013年重点项目、全国高校古委会2013年项目、2015年度国家社科基金后期资助项目。

《尔雅》共十九篇，其中《释诂》《释言》《释训》解释一般语词，《释亲》《释宫》《释器》等十六篇解释专门名词，在词汇学、训诂学、辞书学等方面有极其重要的学术价值。这次整理以中华书局影印宋刻善本为底本，参校《尔雅注疏》《经典释文》《尔雅音义》《尔雅正义》《尔雅义疏》及周祖谟《尔雅校笺》，参考各家整理与研究著作，并制作了音序、笔画索引。

慧苑《新译大方广佛花严经音义》是今存的单经音义，约成书于唐玄宗开元二十年（732）前后 ，约八十余年后为慧琳音义收録。慧苑书就《新译大方广佛华严经》八十卷中的难字僻词注音释义。慧苑通晓梵文唐言，精通音韵训诂，他广引内、外典籍，其注音释义具有文字、音韵、训诂、辞书等多方面的价值。《新译大方广佛华严经音义校注》对慧琳和慧苑的异文进行了分析，对学者了解慧琳和慧苑语音系统提供了材料；书稿对梵文译音成分注明梵文源词的拉丁文转写，找不到源词的也加以说明；对慧苑引文进行了校勘；并且标注了异体字、俗字、古今字等信息，读者还可以管窥汉字发展源流。

《金史》为元朝脱脱等修纂的官修纪传体金代史，包括本纪19卷、志39卷、表4卷、列传71卷，全书135卷，另附《国语解》一卷。记述了从女真族的兴起到金朝建立和灭亡百余年的历史。中华书局点校本《金史》，初由傅乐焕先生承担，但到1966年傅先生去世时，仅做出少部分工作。其后大部分点校工作在1971年后由张政烺先生完成，崔文印先生负责编辑整理，于1975年出版。点校本采用百衲本为底本，与北监本、殿本参校，择善而从，又参考有关史料进行校勘，吸取了前人的考订成果，成为当代《金史》的一个通行本，面世后深受广大读者好评。此次修订仍以百衲本为底本，通校元刻本、清武英殿本，参校明南监本、北监本、清江苏书局本，以及明《永乐大典》残本的相关部分。参考吸收施国祁《金史详校》、文渊阁《四库全书》本及道光殿本的考证、张元济《金史校勘记》等前人校勘成果。在版本校的基础上，充分运用本校、他校，利用正史、类书、文集、出土文献，以及高丽古籍进行校勘。此次修订逐条覆核原点校本已有的校勘成果，充分吸纳原点校本的成绩。原点校本校勘记中很少提及版本依据，且存在较多的改字现象。此次修订明确列出校勘的版本依据，纠正不当的改字、补字、删字。对原校勘记有误或不准确处，加以删除或修改，对失校处，补充新校勘记。对标点、分段不妥处，加以修订。点校本原有2017条校勘记，本次修订删掉120余条，修正不准确的校勘记数十条，新出校勘记近900条，占修订后校勘记总数2780多条的32%左右。另外，还对标点、分段不妥处加以修订，纠正标点失误200多处。修订本还全面搜集梳理了点校本《金史》出版以来发表的诸多校读札记，加以参考和利用，体现了当代《金史》研究的成果。

《汉语方言大词典》是我国汉语方言词汇调查研究成果的集大成者，地跨南北，时通古今，收录了现代汉语中几乎所有的方言词汇，是对通语类词典乃至整个汉语词汇库的重大补充。同时，本词典以“字”为基本单位来组织内容，这种方式深刻地揭示了汉语各大方言之间数千年延绵不绝的密切联系。本次修订，在维持原有凡例规定不变的基础上，着重对方言词语的注音、用字进行了修订，改正了大量排印讹误和一些原始资料不合于拼读规则的明显错误；核对文献书证，改正引文错误并补充了部分出版信息；根据国家民政部资料修改了部分地名；重新制作了检字表，对方言系属简表、文献目录进行了修订，并增设了汉语方言分区一览表。

《论语》是中国文化的核心典籍，其中凝聚着的儒家先贤的思想与智慧，历久而弥新，不断启迪着后人。《论语智慧启迪》系列图书围绕富强、民主、文明、和谐、自由、平等、公正、法治、爱国、敬业、诚信、友善 12 个主题词，从《论语》中精选能够体现这些价值观精神的原文进行讲解，以生动有趣的连环画形式展现相关历史故事，引导读者从中获得思考和感悟。本书包含文明、和谐两个主题词。通过阅读本书，我们不仅能深入了解《论语》，增加传统文化知识积累，体悟先贤思想和智慧的精华，更能以先贤智慧引领当下生活，启迪人生。