Hank Morgan, a skilled mechanic in a nineteenth-century New England arms factory, is struck on the head during a quarrel and awakens to find himself among the knights and magicians of King Arthuŕs Camelot. The ́Yankeé vows brashly to "boss the whole country inside of three weeks" and embarks on an ambitious plan to modernize Camelot with 19th c. industrial inventions like electricity and gunfire. It isńt long before things quickly go downhill....

"A swashbuckling epic of chivalry, honor, and derring-do, it is set in France during the 1620s and richly populated with romantic heroes, unattainable heroines, kings, queens, cavaliers, and criminals in a whirl of adventure, espionage, conspiracy, murder, vengeance, love, scandal, and suspense. Dumas transforms major and minor historical figures into larger-than-life characters: the brave d'Artagnan, an impetuous young man in pursuit of glory; the...

Curiosity, courage and a touch of recklessness: these are the qualities of a true explorer! And yet Axel, the protagonist of this masterpiece by Jules Verne, does not feel particularly courageous when he decides to take part in the mad plan conceived by his uncle, Professor Otto Lidenbrock, to discover what is in the center of the Earth. Following the indications in an ancient book, they descend into the depths of our planet, where they make incredible...

In the year 1792, Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney are the darlings of British society--he is known as one of the wealthiest men in England and kimwit; she is French, a stunning former actress, and "the cleverest woman in Europe." Together they find themselves at the center of a deadly political intrigue. The Reign of Terror grips France, and every day aristocrats in Paris fall victim to Madame la Guillotine. Only one man can rescue them--the...

The mysterious tale of an orphan who is made into a gentleman, with one of the best opening scenes you'll ever read: " Hold your noise! Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat !" Little orphan Pip scarcely imagines how a terrifying encounter with a convict on the lonely marshes will later transform his life. Pip is more troubled by his visits to strange old Miss Havisham-her decaying wedding dress and the house full of memories-and...

"Stephen Crane's immortal masterpiece about the nightmare of war was first published in 1895 and brought its young author immediate international fame. Set during the Civil War, it tells of the brutal disillusionment of a young recruit who had dreamed of the thrill and glory of war, only to find himself fleeing the horror of a battlefield. Shame over his cowardice drives him to seek to redeem himself by being wounded -- earning what he calls the "red...

"'Candide' by Voltaire follows its hero as he emerges from a sheltered life, where he understood everything happens for the best, into the world, where things are rarely so pleasant. A witty entertainment saturated with satirical stabs at philosophy, religion, government and humanity in general, 'Candide' is a transformative classic and the author's finest work." --Back cover (Mint Editions).

"Dostoyevsky's great novel of damnation and redemption evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur. It tells the story of Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, who wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be beyone conventional and moral laws. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a police...

"Dickens had already achieved renown with The Pickwick Papers. With Oliver Twist his reputation was enhanced and strengthened. The novel contains many classic Dickensian themes - grinding poverty, desperation, fear, temptation and the eventual triumph of good in the face of great adversity. Oliver Twist features some of the author's most enduring characters, such as Oliver himself (who dares to ask for more), the tyrannical Bumble, the diabolical...