Showing results by narrator "Peter Coates" in All Categories

The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper is a short story written by Agatha Christie which was first published in The Sketch in October 1924. During a lull in business, Tommy and Tuppence amuse themselves by perusing the paper's personal columns. One cryptic ad reads, "Three hearts … 12 tricks … Ace of Spades … finesse the King." Tommy is certain it is a secret message indicating a crime about to be committed.

Looking Backward: 2000–1887 is a utopian novel by Edward Bellamy, a journalist and writer from Massachusetts. It was the third largest bestseller of its time, after Uncle Tom's Cabin and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It influenced many intellectuals, and appears by title in many socialist writings of the day. "It is one of the few books ever published that created almost immediately on its appearance a political mass movement". The novel also inspired several utopian communities.

Ex-cop Finn O'Grady hasn't been home in years. But the woman he swore to protect is convinced an ancient curse has put her and her son in deadly danger. O'Grady has seen too much evil on earth to believe in the supernatural. And then the killing starts....

The Mystery of the Blue Train is a detective novel written by Agatha Christie, first published in 1928. It features Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, who investigates a murder that occurs aboard the luxurious Blue Train traveling from Calais to Nice. The story revolves around the murder of Ruth Kettering, a wealthy American heiress, whose valuable ruby necklace is also stolen. As Poirot delves into the case, he encounters a cast of characters with motives ranging from financial gain to personal vendettas. Suspects include Ruth's estranged husband, her lover, and other passengers aboard the train.

"Manifesto of the Communist Party" by Karl Heinrich Marx and Friedrich Engels is a book where, for the first time, the aims, tasks and methods of fight of the emerging communist organisations and parties of the nineteenth century were declared and explained. It is the greatest philosophic and political treatise that is important in some way even nowadays. According to experts, Manifesto is a powerful work that still can be used as a good method to mobilize people.

A Classic Collection of Philosophical Essays: Spinoza, Immanuel Kant, Schopenhauer, Herbert Spencer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell and Many Others by Will Durant offers an insightful and comprehensive anthology of essays on some of the most influential philosophers in Western thought. This collection captures the essence of each thinker's contributions to philosophy, making complex ideas accessible and engaging for a broad audience. Spinoza: Durant explores Spinoza's pantheism and his view of a universe governed by natural laws, presenting his ideas on ethics, politics, and the nature of reality.

In these selections, an animal plays an important role in the action or plot of the story. The animals in these stories are real or are stand-ins for humans: Sredni Vashtar by Saki (H. H. Munro) Kholstomer, The Story of a Horse by Leo Tolstoy A Dark-Brown Dog by Stephen Crane Kashtanka by Anton Chekhov The Cat That Walked By Himself by Rudyard Kipling The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe The Fly by Katherine Mansfield The Boar-Pig by Saki (H. H. Munro) The Tiger Guest by Pu Songlbying Jackals and Arabs by Franz Kafka

The Fascinating Problem Of Uncle Meleager's Will is a short story from Dorothy Sayers' book, Lord Peter Views the Body. This is apparently the first Lord Peter story; it was originally published in Pearson's Magazine (July 1925). When old Meleager Finch dies, he leaves two wills: the first grants his fortune to the conservative Primrose League, while the second leaves everything to his niece, Hannah, a young, serious socialist.

Clifford Donald Simak was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Writers Association made him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.

In Humility, Andrew Murray explores the profound yet often overlooked virtue of humility as essential to the Christian life. Drawing from biblical teachings and personal reflections, Murray offers a compelling argument for the importance of humility in relationship with God and others. Through insightful analysis and practical advice, Murray reveals humility as the foundation of true spiritual growth and intimacy with God. He highlights humility as the antidote to pride and self-centeredness, leading readers on a journey toward deeper dependence on God and greater sensitivity to the needs of others.

Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg is a seminal work in political theory that explores the fundamental question of whether social change is best achieved through gradual reforms or revolutionary upheavals. Luxemburg critically examines the limitations of reformist approaches within the capitalist system, arguing that true liberation requires a radical transformation of the existing socio-economic order. Through a nuanced analysis of class struggle, imperialism, and the dynamics of capitalism, Luxemburg presents a compelling argument that challenges prevailing notions of incremental change.

George Orwell (1903-50) is known around the world for his satirical novella Animal Farm and his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, but he was arguably at his best in the essay form. Below, we've selected and introduced ten of Orwell's best essays for the interested newcomer to his non-fiction, but there are many more we could have added.

Collection The Best Fairy Tales contents. Brothers Grimm: Hansel and Gretel ; Little Red Cap ; Rumplestiltskin ; Rapunzel. Charles Perrault : Cinderella Or The Little Glass Slipper ; The Master Cat or Puss In Boots ; The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods. Hans Christian Andersen: The Ugly Duckling. Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince ; The Nightingale and the Rose ; The Selfish Giant ; The Devoted Friend ; The Remarkable Rocket.

To the Man On the Trail is a classic adventure short story by the American writer Jack London, was published in 1900. This is f story about a stranger who stops to rest at Malemute Kid's cabin. He tells the other men a little about himself. A little later, the men hear another story about the stranger from the authorities.

"The Great Wall of China" is a short story by Franz Kafka. While written in 1917, it was not published until 1930, seven years after his death. Its first publication occurred in Der Morgen, a German literary magazine. A year later, Max Brod included it in Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer, the first posthumous collection of short stories by Franz Kafka. Contained within the story is a parable that was separately published as "A Message from the Emperor" ("Eine kaiserliche Botschaft") in 1919 in the collection Ein Landarzt (A Country Doctor).

The Theogony "the genealogy or birth of the gods" is a poem by Hesiod (8th – 7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods, composed c. 730–700 BC. It is written in the Epic dialect of Ancient Greek and contains 1022 lines. Hesiod's Theogony is a large-scale synthesis of a vast variety of local Greek traditions concerning the gods, organized as a narrative that tells how they came to be and how they established permanent control over the cosmos. It is the first known Greek mythical cosmogony.

Lysis is a dialogue of Plato which discusses the nature often translated as friendship, while the word's original content was of a much larger and more intimate bond. It is generally classified as an early dialogue. The main characters are Socrates, the boys Lysis and Menexenus who are friends, as well as Hippothales, who is in unrequited love with Lysis and therefore, after the initial conversation, hides himself behind the surrounding listeners.

Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, activist, and visual artist. Deeply thoughtful and spiritual, Gibran was also considered a philosopher although he rejected the title. Gibran is celebrated as a literary hero in Lebanon. He is widely considered the single most important influence on Arabic poetry and literature during the first half of the twentieth century. Contents: Sand and Foam, The Prophet, The Madman, His Parables And Poems.

The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring the fictional detective. The story is set in 1888. The Sign of the Four has a complex plot involving service in India, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a stolen treasure, and a secret pact among four convicts ("the Four" of the title) and two corrupt prison guards.

The Christmas Stories and Poetry by George MacDonald is a heartwarming and spiritually enriching collection of holiday tales and poems by the celebrated Scottish author George MacDonald. This anthology includes a selection of his most cherished works, such as "The Gifts of the Child Christ," "A Christmas Carol," "A Christmas Prayer," "Christmas Meditation," and more. George MacDonald's writings are known for their profound spiritual insights and the timeless moral lessons they convey. In this collection, he brings the magic and wonder of Christmas to life through his storytelling and poetry.