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  Two Little Soldiers - From their...

  Guy de Maupassant

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  Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5th, 1850 near Dieppe in France.  
  Maupassant’s early life was badly torn when at age 11 (his younger brother Hervé was then five) his mother, Laure, a headstrong and independent-minded woman, risked social disgrace in order to obtain a legal separation from her husband. 
  After the separation, Laure kept custody of her two boys. With the father now forcibly absent, Laure became the most influential and important figure in the young boy's life.   
  Maupassant’s education was such that he rebelled against religion and other societal norms but a developing friendship with Gustave Flaubert began to turn his mind towards creativity and writing. 
  After graduation he volunteered for the Franco-Prussian war. With its end he moved to Paris to work as a clerk in the Navy Department.  Gustave Flaubert now took him under his wing.  Acting as a literary guardian to him, he guided the eager Maupassant to debuts in journalism and literature.  For Maupassant these were exciting times and the awakening of his creative talents and ambitions. 
  In 1880 he published what is considered his first great work, ‘Boule de Suif’, (translated as as ‘Dumpling’, ‘Butterball’, ‘Ball of Fat’, or ‘Ball of Lard’) which met with a success that was both instant and overwhelming.  Flaubert at once acknowledged that it was ‘a masterpiece that will endure.’ Maupassant had used his talents and experiences in the war to create something unique.  
  This decade from 1880 to 1891 was to be the most pivotal of his career.  With an audience now made available by the success of ‘Boule de Suif’ Maupassant organised himself to work methodically and relentlessly to produce between two and four volumes of work a year.  The melding of his talents and business sense and the continual hunger of sources for his works made him wealthy. 
  In his later years he developed a desire for solitude, an obsession for self-preservation, and a fear of death as well as a paranoia of persecution caused by the syphilis he had contracted in his youth.  
  On January 2nd, 1892, Maupassant tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat.  Unsuccessful he was committed to the private asylum of Esprit Blanche at Passy, in Paris.  It was here on July 6th, 1893 that Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant died at the age of only 42.

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  Be This Her Memorial - From...

  Caradoc Evans

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  The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Caradoc Evans.

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  Narrative of the Life of...

  Frederic Douglass

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  Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, this is the most famous American slave narrative ever published and is a rhetorical masterpiece. Douglass self-consciously uses classical rhetorical figures such as hyperbole, personification, metaphor, and irony to show how the pervasive evilness of slavery infects the soul of all that are impacted by it, including himself, his fellow enslaved people and their so-called masters and mistresses albeit at different registers. A classic in the African American canon, Douglass’ Narrative testifies again and again to how enslaved people sustained their humanity and created a sense of community even under the most violent conditions. 
   
  Cover illustrated by: Laylie Frazier 
  Laylie is a digital illustrator from Houston, Texas. She combines texture, color, and pattern to create warm and expressive portraits. She often pulls inspiration from nature, utilizing abstract plant, mountain, and sun motifs in her backgrounds. She is currently illustrating middle grade and YA covers for publishing as well as working in advertising.

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  The Kiss - From their pens to...

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29th January 1860 in Taganrog, on the south coast of Russia.  
  His family life was difficult; his father was strict and over-bearing but his mother was a passionate story-teller, a subject Chekhov warmed to. As he later said; ‘our talents we got from our father, but our soul from our mother’.  
  At school Chekhov was distinctly average. At 16 his father mis-managed his finances and was declared bankrupt. His family fled to Moscow. Chekhov remained and eked out a living by various means, including writing and selling short sketches to newspapers, to finish his schooling. That completed and with a scholarship to Moscow University obtained he rejoined his family. 
  He was able to help support them by selling satirical sketches and vignettes of Russian lifestyles and gradually obtained further commissions. In 1884, he qualified as a physician and, although it earned him little, he often treated the poor for free, he was fond of saying ‘Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.’ 
  His own health was now an issue as he began to cough up blood, a symptom of tuberculosis.  Despite this his writing success enabled him to move the family into more comfortable accommodation.  
  Chekhov wrote over 500 short stories which included many, many classics including ‘The Kiss’ and ‘The Lady with a Dog’.  His collection ‘At Dusk’ won him the coveted Pushkin Prize when was only 26.  
  He was also a major playwright beginning with the huge success of ‘Ivanov’ in 1887.   
  In 1892 Chekhov bought a country estate north of Moscow. Here his medical skills and money helped the peasants tackle outbreaks of cholera and bouts of famine. He also built three schools, a fire station and a clinic.  It left him with less time for writing but the interactions with real people gained him detailed knowledge about the peasantry and their living conditions for his stories.  
  His most famous work, ‘The Seagull’ was received disastrously at its premiere in St Petersburg. It was later restaged in Moscow to highlight its psychological aspects and was a huge success. It led to ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’.  
  Chekhov suffered a major lung hemorrhage in 1897 while visiting Moscow. A formal diagnosis confirmed tuberculosis and the doctors ordered changes to his lifestyle.  
  Despite a dread of weddings the elusive literary bachelor quietly married the actress Olga Knipper, whom he had met at rehearsals for ‘The Seagull’, on 25th May 1901. 
  By May 1904 with his tuberculosis worsening and death imminent he set off for the German town of Badenweiler writing cheerful, witty letters to his family and assuring them his health was improving.  
  On 15th July 1904 Anton Chekhov died at Badenweiler.  He was 44.

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  The Adventures of Three...

  Jules Verne

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  The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in Southern Africa is a lively and intellectually engaging adventure novel by Jules Verne that blends exploration, humor, and scientific curiosity against the dramatic landscapes of nineteenth-century Africa. Set during a period of political tension between England and Russia, the story brings together six explorers—three Englishmen and three Russians—who must put national rivalry aside in the name of knowledge and survival.
  
  The expedition's purpose is scientific: to measure a precise arc of the meridian across Southern Africa. Despite their shared goal, the travelers are divided by cultural misunderstandings, patriotic pride, and ideological differences, leading to spirited debates and moments of comic tension. As the journey progresses, the group faces formidable challenges, including harsh terrain, dangerous wildlife, and encounters with hostile forces.
  
  Through their trials, cooperation gradually replaces rivalry, revealing Verne's belief in the unifying power of science and human reason. Rich in geographical detail and observational insight, the novel offers readers both an exciting travel adventure and a thoughtful commentary on nationalism, collaboration, and mutual respect.
  
  The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in Southern Africa is a distinctive Jules Verne classic—less about fantastical inventions and more about intellect, exploration, and human character—making it a rewarding and entertaining read for lovers of classic adventure and scientific fiction.

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  The Valley of Fear

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  "The valley of fear, the valley of death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the morning to the night."
  
  A cipher message from a mole in Professor Moriarty's organization warns Sherlock Holmes of a looming danger to a country gentleman named John Douglas. Before Holmes can act, news arrives of a gruesome murder at Birlstone Manor—a moated house where the victim was killed with a bizarre American weapon. The room is locked, the drawbridge is up, and yet the killer has vanished.
  
  The Brotherhood of Terror: The investigation takes a sudden, cinematic turn across the Atlantic to the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Here, the "Valley of Fear" is ruled by a murderous secret society known as the Scowrers. Through the eyes of the daring Jack McMurdo, readers witness a world of infiltration, betrayal, and high-stakes espionage that predates the modern noir thriller.
  
  Holmes's Darkest Rivalry: Unlike other Holmes adventures, The Valley of Fear highlights the terrifying reach of Professor Moriarty. Even from the safety of London, the "Napoleon of Crime" pulls the strings of a global web of violence. This novel is a relentless, two-part epic that proves that even in the most isolated corners of the world, no one is truly safe from the consequences of their past.
  
  Two worlds. One secret. A trail of blood that spans an ocean. Purchase "The Valley of Fear" today and see if you can outguess the Master of Deduction.

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