Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Volume 41 contains more songs and hymns, including works by: . Emma Lazarus . Longfellow . Cecil Francis Alexander . George Alfred Townsend . Thomas Moore . William Butler Yeats . Thomas Nash . Helen Thayer Hutcheson . Arthur Cleveland Coxe . Abdallah Nihauni . Ellen Burroughs . and many others . and much, much more.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 19 include: . the poetry of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Thomas Hood, Horace, and Julia Ward Howe . the legend of the Holy Grail . excerpts from Homer's the Iliad and the Odyssey . selections from Victor Hugo's Les Misrables . the science writing of Thomas Henry Huxley . and much, much more.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Volume 40 is a comprehensive selection of songs and hymns including works by: . Richard Lovelace . Nora Hopper . James Montgomery . Sarah Williams . Charles Godfrey Leland . Andrew Marvell . King Henry IV of France . Gerald Massey . Eliza Calvert Hall . Sir Walter Raleigh . and many others

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 33 include: . the poetry of Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller . the writings of Arthur Schopenhauer . the biographies of Carl Schurz . excerpts from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, The Lady of the Lake, and others . the philosophy of Seneca . the letters of Madame de Svign . excerpts from the plays of William Shakespeare . and much, much more.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 1 include: . the letters of Ablard and Heloise . the letters by Abigail Adams, John Adams, and John Quincy Adams . Aesop's fables . selections from the works of Louisa May Alcott (Little Women and more), Alfred the Great, and Henri Frdric Amiel . and much, much more.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 18 include: . excerpts from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter . travel writing by Lafcadio Hearn . the philosophy of George William Frederick Hegel and Thomas Hobbes . the writings of Heliodorus . the poems of George Herbert and Jos-Maria de Hrdia . the writings of Patrick Henry . verse by Thomas Heywood . and much, much more.

It would be enough to recommend this astonishing, 45-volume set, first published in 1896, if it were merely a wonderfully massive compilation of the world's best writings from the world's best authors up until the advent of the 20th century. But A Library of the World's Best Literature is so much more than that. For this marvelous collection represents the evolution of human thought-the evolution of human civilization, even-as seen through the mind of one of the most important, if sadly almost forgotten, literary figures of the 19th century.Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world.And so it still deserves to be. Arranged not chronologically but alphabetically, mostly under the names of authors but in some cases of literatures or special subjects-such as Icelandic literature or Arthurian legend-this set is no dry reference work. These eminently browsable volumes-available through Cosimo for the first time in decades in both paperback and hardcover editions-are meant to be read and enjoyed by anyone who loves the written word.Volume 45 features more synopses of notable works-from Adam Bede by George Eliot to Zury; The Meanest Man in Spring County by Joseph Kirkland-including many not previously referenced in the set but highlighted as well worth a serious reader's time and attention.This volume also includes a General Index to the 45-volume set.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 22 include: . the writings of Charles Kingsley . excerpts from Rudyard Kipling . excerpts from the Koran . the poetry of Jean de la Fontaine . selections from Charles Lamb's Essays of Elia . the literary criticism of Andrew Lang . the poems of Sidney Lanier . and much, much more.

Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 15 include: . the memoirs of Samuel Foote . the writings of Anatole France . excerpts from Saint Francis of Assisi . letters and speeches by Benjamin Franklin . the historical essays of Edward Augustus Freeman . letters and aphorisms by Friedrich Froebel . the historical writing of James Anthony Froude . the science writing of Francis Galton . poetry and prose by Thophile Gautier . and much, much more.