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  A Journey of Little Profit -...

  John Buchan

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  The Scottish novelist John Buchan enjoyed a remarkable career as politician, historian and Governor General. He was born John Buchan on 26th August 1875 and later added 1st Baron Tweedsmuir PC GCMG GCVO CH to his name.  
  Buchan studied at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow and at seventeen won a scholarship to the University of Glasgow to study classics. There he began to write poetry. In 1895 he transferred to Oxford to continue his study of Classics and in 1896 ‘Sir Quixote of the Moors’ was published followed by the non-fiction ‘Scholar-Gipsies’. His prolific literary output now hardly faltered. 
  He graduated in 1900 and became the private secretary to Alfred Milner, the High Commissioner for Southern Africa and other colonies. Buchan found the same inspiration in the African landscape as he had in the Scottish Borders, and would later set many works here. Returning to London he became a partner in a publishing house, and garnered an editorial role at The Spectator. He also completed his law studies. He was called to the bar in 1901 but never practiced.  
  On 15th July 1907 Buchan married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor, the cousin of the Duke of Westminster. In 1910 he wrote ‘Prester John’, the first of a series set in South Africa.  
  In 1911 Buchan entered politics as a Unionist candidate in the Scottish Borders advocating the support of free trade, women’s suffrage, national insurance, and reducing the power of the House of Lords.  
  The Great War saw Buchan writing for the War Propaganda Bureau and as Times correspondent in France. In 1915, he published ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’, his most famous book and a follow-up Richard Hannay novel, ‘Greenmantle’, in 1916.  
  In 1916 Buchan enlisted in the Intelligence Corps which included writing speeches for Sir Douglas Haig. By 1917 he was Director of Information under Lord Beaverbrook. Buchan called it “the toughest job he ever took on”. He somehow found time to assist in a history of the war magazine. This was later published in 24 volumes: Nelson’s History of the War. 
  After the war his writing focused on historical studies. In 1927 Buchan became the Unionist Party Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities. In a speech to Parliament he said “I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist. If it could be proved that a Scottish parliament were desirable… Scotsmen should support it.”  
  Over the next decade he continued to distinguish himself politically and in literature.  On the 1st June 1935 he became 1st Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield in the County of Oxford.  
  He was now also given the position of Governor General in Canada and resolved to travel all over Canada to gain a better insight of the country. Having crossed both length and breadth he saw the cultural shift between areas and their common ground and helped bring about a clear national Canadian identity. 
  On the 6th February 1940 he collapsed from a stroke and sustained a very serious head injury in falling. Two rounds of surgery to stabilise his condition were unsuccessful and Buchan died on the 11th February. After a state funeral in Ottawa his ashes were returned to his estate in Oxfordshire.

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  The Old Curiosity Shop Volume 2

  Charles Dickens

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  In "The Old Curiosity Shop Volume 2," Charles Dickens continues the poignant tale of Nell and her grandfather, ensnared in a fugitive journey across England. Pursued by the malevolent Quilp, they seek refuge in the kindness of strangers and the solace of forgotten places. As allies rise and perils deepen, Nell's unwavering spirit embarks on a quest for peace and redemption. Dickens crafts a landscape rich with emotion and tension, illuminating themes of resilience and hope amidst despair.

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  The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes...

  Arthur Conan Doyle, Classic...

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  The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is the fourth book in Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic Sherlock Holmes series. This captivating collection of twelve short stories highlights the legendary detective's extraordinary ability to solve even the most perplexing mysteries. With his trusted companion, Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes faces a variety of challenges, from uncovering secrets in Silver Blaze to the startling revelations of The Musgrave Ritual. The collection also features The Final Problem, which introduces Holmes' greatest adversary, Professor Moriarty, and delivers a climactic confrontation that leaves readers on the edge of their seats. These timeless tales continue to define the detective genre and remain a treasure for all fans of mystery and adventure.

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  Virginibus Puerisque II...

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.
  VIRGINIBUS PUERISQUE II: Hope, they say, deserts us at no period of our existence. From first to last, and in the face of smarting disillusions, we continue to expect good fortune, better health, and better conduct; and that so confidently, that we judge it needless to deserve them.

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  The Aspern Papers

  Henry James

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  "The Aspern Papers" by Henry James is a gripping novella centered around the literary intrigue of an ambitious American editor, who seeks to obtain the private papers of the esteemed poet Jeffrey Aspern. Traveling to Venice, the editor meets Aspern's elderly former lover, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Miss Tina. Obsessed with acquiring the papers, the editor navigates a web of secrecy and manipulation, as Juliana guards the precious documents jealously. He develops a peculiar relationship with Miss Tina, using her affection to gain access to the coveted papers.

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  Little Match Girl The - Story...

  Hans Christian Andersen

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  "The Little Match Girl" (Danish: Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, meaning "The little girl with the matchsticks") is a short story by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story, about a dying child's dreams and hope, was first published in 1845. It has been adapted to various media, including an animated short film, a television musical, and an animated virtual reality story called "Allumette". On a cold New Year's Eve, a poor, young girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold and early hypothermia, and she is walking barefoot having lost her too large slippers. Still, she is too afraid to go home, because her father will beat her for not selling any matches, and also as the many cracks in their shack can't keep out the cold wind. The girl takes shelter in a nook or alley and sits down...

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