579 results for "Historical Fiction"

A Year at Hartlebury, Or, The Election

Benjamin Disraeli,Sarah Disraeli
The revelation that a long forgotten novel first published anonymously in 1834 is the work of Benjamin Disraeli and his sister Sarah is an exciting literary event. Newly discovered letters between brother and sister prove without doubt that it was written jointly by them. We do not have to look far for the reason for their secrecy. The vividly described election which forms the centrepiece of the story is clearly based on Disraeli's recent experiences as an unsuccessful candidate in two elections at High Wycombe. His political career had a long way to go and the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize it by revealing his motives in the past or his hopes for the future. The hero, Aubrey Bohun, has, like Disraeli, recently returned from mysterious travels in the East, but unlike him has his own castle and an income of £30,000 a year. Bohun obviously contains an element of wish fulfilment and allows the authors to incorporate in the novel elements of wish fulfilment and allows the authors to incorporate in the novel elements of a popular genre known in its day as 'silver fork' fiction – revelations of high life. Although there is much of this and of melodrama too, there is also some splendid social irony. Michael Foot says 'the volume is quite fit to takes its place in the true Disraeli canon and contains many gems which add fresh gleams to the portrait of Disraeli himself.' Two appendixes explain the literary detection that proved the book's authorship and the parallels between the politics of Aubrey Bohun and Disraeli.
University of Toronto Press 1983-12-15 230 pages

Citizens and soldiers

Döblin, Alfred
Towards the end of 1937, having just completed his South American Amazonas trilogy (The Land without Death), Doblin embarked on a new project much closer to home. As a military doctor in Alsace he had experienced firsthand the chaotic scenes in Haguenau and Strasbourg that followed the Kaiser's abdication and the Armistice. His skill at depicting historical events in vivid epic prose would now be applied to seminal events still within living memory, and still highly controversial. He and his family (now with three small children) left Alsace on 14 November 1918 with the hospital staff and patients, reaching Berlin several days later. In March 1919 he witnessed the savage repression of the uprising in Lichtenberg, the eastern Berlin district where he had settled; his sister Meta was killed by grenade shrapnel as she fetched milk for her children. His essay On Cannibalism reveals his anger at both the ineptitude of the insurgents and the callousness of the Social Democrat Minister of War, Noske. Citizens and Soldiers, the self-contained first volume of November 1918: A German Revolution, presents a vivid panorama of fictional and real individuals, scenes and events over a chaotic two weeks. It was published in Amsterdam and Stockholm in October 1939, shortly after Britain and France declared war on Germany. Unsurprisingly it had little chance to circulate. During his exile years in California (1940-45), Doblin completed the remaining parts of what became the longest of his nine epic novels. When in 1947 the question arose of publishing the entire work in Germany, the French Occupation Authority (in which Doblin was serving as Public Education Officer) vetoed Citizens & Soldiers because of sensitivities about the status of Alsace-Lorraine, main location of the novel's action. (This border region had been French territory since the 17th century; was annexed by Germany in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War, and reverted to France at the end of the First World War. Apart from the war years 1940-45 it has since remained French.) November 1918 A German Revolution therefore appeared as three volumes successively in autumn 1948, spring 1949 and spring 1950. This truncated edition was the basis for an incomplete English translation in the 1980s. In Germany, a complete edition appeared only in 1978, two decades after Doblin's death, enabling for the first time a proper evaluation of what is now seen as one of Doblin's most impressive achievements. It is high time that English readers too should have access to the missing first volume: Citizens & Soldiers.
Galileo 2024-09-19 288 pages

Menasseh Ben Israel's Mission To Oliver Cromwell

Israel, Menasseh Ben
Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell is a historical account of the Jewish emissary Menasseh ben Israel's efforts to secure the readmission of Jews to England in the 17th century. The book recounts Menasseh's journey from Amsterdam to London in 1655, where he met with Cromwell and other prominent figures to argue for the rights of Jews to live and worship in England. The book provides insight into the political and religious climate of the time, as well as the challenges faced by Jewish communities throughout Europe. It also explores Menasseh's personal journey as a prominent Jewish leader and scholar, and his efforts to promote Jewish learning and culture. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Jewish history, the history of England, or the intersection of religion and politics in the 17th century.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Kessinger Publishing, LLC 2007-06-01 280 pages

Works of Israel Zangwill

Israel 1864-1926 Zangwill
Explore the rich tapestry of early 20th-century literature with “Works of Israel Zangwill, Volume 8.†This collection showcases the insightful and often poignant writings of Israel Zangwill, a prominent voice in Jewish literature and a keen observer of European society. Zangwillâ€(TM)s works delve into themes of identity, assimilation, and the immigrant experience, offering a compelling glimpse into a rapidly changing world. This volume promises to be a valuable addition to any literary collection, providing both historical context and timeless narratives that resonate with contemporary readers. Discover the enduring appeal of Zangwillâ€(TM)s storytelling and his contribution to the literary landscape. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2025-05-22 466 pages

Einmal und Nie Wieder Lebenserinnerungen

Theodor Lessing
Aus dem Buch: "Als meine Urgroßeltern den Namen Ahrweiler annahmen, da wohnten sie bereits im benachbarten Koblenz; dort betrieben sie um 1800 eine Metzgerei, welche nachweislich durch drei Generationen in der selben Familie blieb. Das Handwerk des Schlächters, des rituellen Schlächters, konnte in den alten Gemeinden nur von strenggläubigen Männern ausgeübt werden. Daher ist wohl anzunehmen, daß diese Vorfahren fromme Leute gewesen sind, obwohl schon mein Großvater, welcher reich geworden als Bankherr in Düsseldorf lebte, nicht mehr der jüdischen Gemeinde angehörte." Theodor Lessing (1872-1933) war ein deutscher Philosoph und politischer Publizist.
Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Indepe 2018-04-05 252 pages

An Occupation of Angels

Lavie Tidhar
After Archangels materialise over the bloodbaths of WWII, they take up residence in most of the world's major cities. But what would happen if, more than a quarter of a century later, something somehow managed to kill these supreme beings? Killarney knows and, as an agent working for the Bureau, a British agency that's so secret it doesn't officially exist, she finds herself embroiled in the consequences as, one by one, the Archangels die. Assigned to trace a missing cryptographer thought to have information on the murders, she travels from England, through France, heading for the frozen wastes of the USSR. But there's an unknown third party intent on stopping her, and there's God, who also has an agenda. Not knowing who is friend and who is foe, and with only a brief glimpse of a swastika on angel wings as solid information, Killarney struggles to remain alive long enough to glean sufficient information to put together the pieces of the puzzle and complete what is, without them, an impossible mission.
Apex Publications 2010-10 142 pages

The Hundred Days

Joseph Roth
Joseph Roth paints a vivid portrait of Emperor Napoleon's last grab at glory, the hundred days spanning his escape from Elba to his final defeat at Waterloo. This particularly poignant work, set in the first half of 1815 and largely in Paris, is told from two perspectives, that of Napoleon himself and that of the lowly, devoted palace laundress Angelica--an unlucky creature who deeply loves him. In The Hundred Days, Roth refracts the deep sorrow of their intertwined fates. Roth's signature lyrical elegance and haunting atmospheric details sing in The Hundred Days. "There may be," as James Wood has stated, "no modern writer more able to combine the novelistic and the poetic, to blend lusty, undamaged realism with sparkling powers of metaphor and simile."
New Directions Publishing Corporation 2016 224 pages

The People from Heaven

John Sanford
The People from Heaven , John Sanford's most ambitious and searing novel, completes his Warrensburg Trilogy, digging beneath the bucolic surface of a small-town to expose the hatred at its core. "A sacred book, majestic in its rebukes of those who violate the breath and origin of humanity while professing faith and going through the motions of holiness." Carl Sandburg The people of Warrensburg are divided by the arrival of a nameless Black woman. Her few allies call her America Smith, while the town's most prominent citizens try to drive her out. This clash results in rape and murder. Sanford punctuates this spare plot with poetic episodes from the nation's past, rooting the characters' actions in the violence of the nation's founding. He tells the story with an artistry of language that led the Cambridge Companion to Jewish American Literature to describe him as America's "most outstanding neglected novelist." This new edition of Sanford's literary masterpiece features an introduction by Jack Mearns, author of John Sanford: An Annotated Bibliography. The other books in the trilogy are Make My Bed in Hell and The Old Man's Place. John Sanford (1904-2003) was a screenwriter and author who wrote 24 books. A one-time member of the Communist Party, he and his wife, the ground-breaking screenwriter Marguerite Roberts, refused to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee, and were blacklisted in Hollywood for nearly a decade. "Only a warm-hearted and perceptive author who believes in the potential worth of humanity could have conceived the powerful conflicts, the trenchant syllables here. The fact that it succeeds in provoking an examination of national conscience as well as of person attitude also suggests its worth." New York Herald Tribune "Sanford's technique is arresting and every page has a savor and quality of its own." The New Republic
Brash Books 2022-04-13 214 pages

The Dreamcloth

Joanne Fedler
Mia is in Bosnia as a journalist when she is summoned by Asher, the man she blames for her father's death. In his dying moments, Asher returns the dreamcloth to her, a patchwork of beads and lace he stole when she was just a child. The cloth, woven by a seamstress in a grim shtetl in Lithuania, holds the mystery of a forbidden love affair of Mia's grandmother Maya, as she fled the anti-Semitism of Europe in the 1920's. Mia returns to her homeland South Africa, on the eve of the first democratic elections where she grapples to make sense of the injustices, absences and hauntings of her childhood. What happened to her artist father Issey, her nanny Sarafina, and her best friend Grace? The dreamcloth with its 'glimmer of blue silk, a moon of filigree lace and woven cobblestones of amber, ' holds the answers to all that has been lost. Fedler weaves together the present, past and distant past in a stirring epic of family secrets handed down from generation to generation, and ghosts that will not let go of the living.
Karen Mc Dermott 2021-01-26 354 pages

Der Goldene Spiegel

Jakob Wassermann
Jakob Wassermann (1873-1934) war ein deutsch-jüdischer Schriftsteller. Er zählte zu den produktivsten und populärsten Erzählern seiner Zeit. Inhalt: - Franziska und die Freunde - Was über den Spiegel beschlossen wurde - Die Pest im Vintschgau - Der Stationschef - Geronimo de Aguilar - Von Helden und ihrem Widerspiel - Der Tempel von Apamea - Die Gefangenen auf der Plassenburg - Paterner - Nimführ und Willenius - Herr de Landa und Peter Hannibal Meier - Begegnung - Die Geschichte des Grafen Erdmann Promnitz - Franziskas Erzählung - Aurora - Der Affe und der Spiegel
E ARTNOW 2018-04-05 132 pages

West Side Story

Irving Shulman
The classic novelization of one of Broadway’s most enduring and beloved musicals, updated with a beautiful new cover. Maria is young and innocent and has never known love—until Tony. And Tony, searching for life beyond the savagery of the streets, has discovered love for the first time with her, too. But Maria’s brother is the leader of the Sharks and Tony had once led the rival Jets. Now, both gangs are claiming the same turf and with tensions rising to the point of explosion, it seems there is no way to stop a rumble. Tony promised Maria that he would stay out of it. But will he be able to keep his word or will their newfound love be destroyed by violence or even death? Evocative and unforgettable, this novelization brings out all of the depth, drama, and beauty of one of the most enduring stories in the history of American theater.
Simon and Schuster 2021-11-16 160 pages

Destiny Express

Rodman, Howard A.
Hailed by Thomas Pynchon as “daringly imagined and darkly romantic—a moral thriller,” Destiny Express captures both the glamour and the terror of an era, dramatizing the perilous moment when art, politics, and destiny converged on the tracks out of Berlin. Berlin, the last day of February, 1933. The Reichstag lies in smoldering ruins, a new world about to spring from its ashes. And now for German filmmakers the choices are stark: stay and collaborate with a government that believes in cinema’s power to shape reality, or leave everything behind. Destiny Express is the story of Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou, husband and wife, director and screenwriter—together, they made some of the greatest films of all time: M, Metropolis, Doctor Mabuse. As each day is torn from the calendar they watch as one by one Bertolt Brecht, Max Ophuls, Billy Wilder, take the next train out. Destiny Express follows Lang, von Harbou, and a host of real and fictional others––novelist-turned-minister-of-culture Joseph Goebbels, American café Surrealist Sam Harrison, Mercedes racing champ Otto Merz, film star Rudolf Klein-Rogge, a pair of not-so-secret police—as their paths converge, intertwine, and separate across the grid of Berlin, from the artificial daylight of the UFA soundstage to the artificial night of Berlin's most exclusive and decadent nightclubs. Harsh lights, long shadows: the perfect setting for a deeply researched, deftly imagined tale, as one character puts it, of "crime, gambling, cocaine, jazz, stock exchange maneuvers, smuggling, hypnosis, counterfeiting, violence, Expressionism." Destiny Express is the story of a marriage at the end of its passion, at the edge of history—all at the end of an era when film was to mean more than it ever would again.
Rare Bird Books 2026-05-19 192 pages

Götz and Meyer

David Albahari
Gotz and Meyer, two noncommissioned SS officers, are entrusted with an assignment, "not a big one," but one that "requires efficiency." Their task is to transport five thousand women, children and elderly, one hundred at a time, from a concentration camp near Belgrade in a hermetically sealed truck, in which they are gassed. As Albahari's anonymous narrator, a teacher, obsessively pursues the truth of this systematic annihilation, he shares his findings with his students. Their school bus becomes that truck, and as the memory of Belgrade's lost Jewish souls is evoked, the students are bewildered. Their teacher, worn down as much by the task of making history come alive as by the toll his research has taken on him, is overwhelmed by the horror of his own imaginings. A harrowing, masterfully written story, full of compassion, irony, and lyricism.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2006 168 pages

Chelsea Reach

Claire RAYNER
Martha Lackland dies in 1905. Her great-niece, Letty attends the funeral. Here she meets Luke O'Hare, an aspiring actor with plans to start a theatre for the poor of London. Letty falls under the spell of Luke and his circle of Bohemian friends. In an attempt to establish her independence from her domineering family she runs away to help Luke and his friends set up the theatre. It is also a time of great change for women as the Suffragette movement presents a radical challenge to the established order and Letty is drawn to the excitement and liberation it promises.
House of Stratus 1992 232 pages

Fine Weather Woman A Story of British Columbia

Anthony Robinson
Before Europeans arrived in British Columbia, the coastal Indians lived in an environment where there was no want. The fish and fur-bearing mammals in the sea fed and clothed them, they were sheltered in post-and-beam houses, and they travelled around is sturdy canoes. They plundered and waged war against their enemies, and they captured slaves. There's was a world filled with superstition and magic, with supernatural creatures such as the raven, the gluttonous trickster, that could assume human form. The Europeans brought with them smallpox and other communicable diseases to which the Indians had no immunity, and they died by the thousands. The Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands (since renamed Haida Gwai) were particularly hard hit, their numbers reduced from an estimated 14,000 to 800. Ignoring the rights of the Indians, the Europeans established government, first as a crown colony of Great Britain, then as a province of the Dominion of Canada. The jurisdiction was sustained at first by gold strikes, but when the gold ran out, the mainstay of the economy became the forests. The ones on the coast, with huge trees nudging 300 feet in height and some exceeding 12 feet in diameter, were the first to be exploited. There arose a stalwart band of men known as loggers, who harvested the big trees. One of them, whose name was Bill Clayton, became a legend in his lifetime for his strength and ability to do the work, and they called him "Logger Bill." At the end of the depression, when he is just 16 years old, Bill is unable to find work in Queen Charlotte City. He is forced to leave his Haida sweetheart and go to a remote logging camp, where the only holidays come at Christmas time, and only last for two weeks. She find she is pregnant, and marries her cousin, a common practice among the Haida. Bill is crushed when he hears the news, and sublimates himself in the logging business.Through tragedy and triumph, Bill works his way through life, with four loves and three illegitimate offspring, and through a living history of forest management in BC. He meets a premature death, and his three sons eventually find out about their ancestry. Throughout, the raven appears from time to time, giving rise to the feeling that he may still have some magic in him.
Independently Published 2017-06-29 478 pages