«William Blake (1757-1827) was a poet of striking originality, whose poetic world of myth and mysticism continues to fascinate. By turns a haunting lyricist, an apocalyptic visionary, and an unorthodox thinker, Blake was for years ignored or derided. Sustained by his belief in the artistic imagination, he drafted poetry, prose visions, and epigrams, and manufactured beautiful illustrated volumes of his lyrics and verse narratives. Towards the end of his life, Blake's unique and irreducible talent was recognized by a group of younger artists, who rescued much of his achievement from oblivion. This selection represents the full range of Blake's accomplishment as a poet, ranging from early «Poetical Sketches» to late lyrics, and including such major works as «The Book of Thel», «Songs of Innocence», «The Marriage of Heaven and Hell», «Visions of the Daughters of Albion», «America», «Songs of Experience», and «Europe». The collection is chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition, with Michael Mason's introduction and notes providing the ideal guide to a remarkable oeuvre.»

«Byron was a legend in his own lifetime and the dominant influence on the Romantic movement. The most European of the English writers in an age of revolution, Byron was deeply involved in contemporary events, and a passionate supporter of the struggle for Greek independence. Describing himself as `born for opposition', his work was largely directed against what he called the `cant political, cant poetical, and cant moral' of the English and European worlds. He was rocketed to fame by the publication of «Childe Harold» in 1812, and lionized by society until his departure from England amid a whirlpool of private gossip and newspaper scandal in 1816. His is, in every sense, a poetry of experience, and a Romantic emphasis on the personality of the poet is the hallmark of all his verse. Relishing humour and irony, daring and flamboyant, sardonic yet idealistic, his work encompasses a sweeping range of topics, subjects, and models, embracing the most traditional and the most experimental poetic forms. This selection of the poetical works, chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition, includes such masterpieces as «The Corsair», «Manfred», «Bebbo», and «Don Juan». There are many other less familiar works and shorter lyrics, and Jerome J. McGann's introduction and notes give fascinating insight into Byron's world.»

«John Donne (1572-1631) is perhaps the most important poet of the seventeenth century. In his day it seemed to his admirers that Donne had changed the literary universe, and he is now widely regarded as the founder of the metaphysical `school'. Donne's poetry is highly distinctive and individual, adopting a multitude of rhythms, images, forms, and personae, from irresistible seducer to devout believer. His greatness stems from the subtleties and ambivalences of tone that convey his remarkably modern awareness of the instability of the self. This collection of Donne's verse is chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition of his major works. It includes a wide selection from his secular and divine poems, such as the rebellious and libertine satires and love elegies, the virtuoso «Songs and Sonnets», and the desperate, passionate «Holy Sonnets». John Carey's introduction and extensive notes provide valuable insights into Donne's poetic genius.»

«'Love is nothing without feeling. And feeling is still less without love.' Celebrated in its own day as the progenitor of 'a school of sentimental writers', «A Sentimental Journey» (1768) has outlasted its many imitators because of the humour and mischievous eroticism that inform Mr Yorick's travels. Setting out to journey to France and Italy he gets little further than Lyons but finds much to appreciate, in contrast to contemporary travel writers whom Sterne satirizes in the figures of Smelfungus and Mundungus. A master of ambiguity and double entendre, Sterne is nevertheless as concerned as his peers with exploring the nature of virtue; unlike other writers of sentimental fiction Sterne insists on the inseparability of desire and feeling. This new edition includes a selection from «The Sermons of Mr Yorick», which shed light on the concerns of the «Journey», «The Journal to Eliza», which records Sterne's feelings as he languishes for the company of Eliza Draper, and «A Political Romance», the satire on a local ecclesiastical squabble that was the catalyst for Sterne's literary career.»

«Twenty Years After» (1845), the sequel to «The Three Musketeers», is a supreme creation of suspense and heroic adventure. Two decades have passed since the musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu and Milady. Time has weakened their resolve, and dispersed their loyalties. But treasons and strategems still cry out for justice: civil war endangers the throne of France, while in England Cromwell threatens to send Charles I to the scaffold. Dumas brings his immortal quartet out of retirement to cross swords with time, the malevolence of men, and the forces of history. But their greatest test is a titanic struggle with the son of Milady, who wears the face of Evil. In his Introduction to this edition David Coward sets both the author and his exciting tale in their historical and cultural contexts.»

«Typhoon», «Falk», «Amy Foster», «The Secret Sharer» The four tales in this volume share autobiographical origins in Conrad's experience at sea and his exile from Poland, the country of his birth. 'Typhoon' is the story of a steamship and her crew beset by tempest, and of the stolid captain whose dogged courage is tested to the limit. In 'Falk' a taciturn young woman is bizarrely courted by a tug-boat master who is haunted by a terrible secret. 'Amy Foster' tells of an emigrant Pole struggling to overcome isolation and prejudice in England. The final tale, 'The Secret Sharer', is Conrad's most famous short story, a masterpiece of suspense and ambiguity. Giving sanctuary to a fugitive sailor, a young sea-captain risks his ship and his command in order to save him. This revised edition uses the English first edition texts and has a new chronology and bibliography.»

- A hardback dictionary, ideal for everyday reference at home, school, or work — Contains over 150,000 words, phrases, and definitions — Two-colour layout and accessible design help you find the information you need quickly and easily — Features all the words you need, with extensive coverage of essential vocabulary, plus the most-used technical and specialist terms — Effective English centre section, full of practical advice, helps you use language more effectively Its excellent coverage of essential English vocabulary and clear, accessible style make this revised edition of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English ideal for general everyday use. Straightforward definitions are accompanied by plenty of example sentences to show how words behave in the language. Usage notes on tricky parts of English help you distinguish between commonly confused words, such as complementary and complimentary, or forbear and forebear, as well as giving advice on grammar. The Effective English section in the centre of the dictionary is packed with advice on how to use English in a variety of situations, such as writing CVs or letters of complaint. This revised edition has been completely redesigned and now contains even more practical help with correspondence. The clear layout and attractive two-colour design enable you to find the infromation you want quickly and easily, and the uncomplicated definitions give you the most accurate picture of the language possible.

• Fully revised and updated: Over 5,100 entries — 200 new to this edition • Covers all aspects of personal and international finance, from private investments and borrowing to European and American commerce. • Recommended web links for many entries, accessible via the Dictionary of Finance and Banking companion website • Useful feature entries on areas requiring a fuller explanation, such as Financial Times Share Indexes, Bankruptcy Law, and Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) • Expanded coverage of central banking, monetary policy, and a special focus on financial institutions reflecting recent developments in this area New to this edition • Fully revised and updated with 200 new words added to this edition • Feature panels with full explanations of topical and complex terms, e.g. Financial Times Share Indexes. • Recommended web links for many entries, accessible via the Dictionary of Finance and Banking companion website • Expanded coverage of central banking, monetary policy, and a special focus on financial institutions reflecting recent developments in this area

This best-selling dictionary is written by one of the most famous philosophers of our time, and it is widely recognized as the best dictionary of its kind. Comprehensive and authoritative, it covers every aspect of philosophy from Aristotle to Zen. With clear and concise definitions, it provides lively and accessible coverage of not only Western philosophical traditions, but also themes from Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy. Entries include over 500 biographies of famous and influential philosophers, in-depth analysis of philosophical terms and concepts, and a chronology of philosophical events stretching from 10,000 BC to the present day. The first edition of this dictionary became a market-leader and a standard work of reference, selling over 100,000 copies. Now the author, Professor Simon Blackburn, has revised it to include web links which provide up-to-date and valuable extra information via the Dictionary of Philosophy companion website. Fully cross-referenced and containing over 3,000 alphabetical entries, it is the ideal introduction to philosophy for anyone with an interest in the subject, and it is an indispensable work of reference for students and teachers.

• A hardback thesaurus, ideal for home, work, or school, with over 230,000 syonyms and antonyms • Features all the words you need for everyday use, with synonyms given in order of usefulness • New usage notes on commonly confused words help you to avoid common pitfalls • Centre section includes new and updated lists of nouns, such as types of birds, bread, and butterflies, to help you expand your vocabulary and find quick answers to puzzles and queries A handy hardback volume for home, school, or work, the Pocket Oxford Thesaurus features synonyms and antonyms for everyday words, as well as language help. Updated with all the latest must-know vocabulary, and with a completely revised text, this second edition is an invaluable tool for anyone who writes for work, school, or pleasure, or anyone looking for the word on the tip of their tongue. The centre section of this thesaurus has been revised and now contains even more lists of nouns, such as insects, fruits, or drinks. This information can help you to broaden your knowledge, or to find the answer you are looking for in a quiz or a puzzle. The A-Z text of the thesaurus features usage notes to help you identify frequently confused words, such as affect and effect, or compliment and complement, so that you can avoid common pitfalls when you are writing. This thesaurus also contains Word Link features, helping you to find words that are closely associated with each other. For example, the Word Link at the entrylaw informs you that the words legal, judicial, and juridicial all relate to laws, and the Word Link at darkness reveals that the fear of darkness is called scotophobia. Packed with extra tips and help, and with a completely revised and up-to-date text, the Pocket Oxford Thesaurus is an ideal reference book for anyone who wants to improve their writing.

- Exciting and skilful adaptations of a range of modern novels — New, innovative activities specifically tailored to support the revised Programme of Study for Key Stage 3. Activities include work on Speaking and Listening, close text analysis and the structure of playscripts, and act as a springboard for personal writing — Insights into the plays themselves by their popular authors and adapters — Advice on staging Dominic Cooke's acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of the bestselling novel by Malorie Blackman. First performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007.

This three-level grammar practice series takes students through from Basic to Advanced level English.

In a house in Oxford three people are having breakfast — Carol, her husband Jan, and his father Josef. They are talking about Prague, because Carol wants them all to go there for Christmas. Josef was born in Prague, but he left his home city when he was a young man. He is an old man now, and he would like to see Prague again before he dies. But he is afraid. He still remembers another Christmas in Prague, many long years ago — a Christmas that changed his life for ever...

When he was a boy, he was poor and hungry. When he was a young man, he was still poor and still hungry. He learnt how to steal horses, he learnt how to fight, he learnt how to live — outside the law. Australia in the 1870s was a hard, wild place. Rich people had land, poor people didn't. So the rich got richer, and the poor stayed poor. Some say Ned Kelly was a bad man. Some say he was a good man but the law was bad. This is the true story of Australia's most famous outlaw.

There, on top of the mushroom, was a large caterpillar, smoking a pipe. After a while the Caterpillar took the pipe out of its mouth and said to Alice in a slow, sleepy voice, 'Who are you?' What strange things happen when Alice falls down the rabbit-hole and into Wonderland! She has conversations with the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat, goes to the Mad Hatter's tea party, plays croquet with the King and Queen of Hearts...

Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew want to adopt an orphan, to help on the farm at Green Gables. They ask for a boy, but they get Anne, who has red hair and freckles, and who talks and talks and talks. They didn't want a girl, but how can they send a child back, like an unwanted parcel? So Anne stays, and begins a new life in the sleepy, quiet village of Avonlea in Canada. But it is not so quiet after Anne comes to live there...

In the mountains of Transylvania there stands a castle. It is the home of Count Dracula — a dark, lonely place, and at night the wolves howl around the walls. In the year 1875 Jonathan Harker comes from England to do business with the Count. But Jonathan does not feel comfortable at Castle Dracula. Strange things happen at night, and very soon, he begins to feel afraid. And he is right to be afraid, because Count Dracula is one of the Un-Dead — a vampire that drinks the blood of living people...

Who wants to live in a house, wear clean clothes, be good, and go to school every day? Not young Huckleberry Finn, that's for sure. So Huck runs away, and is soon floating down the great Mississippi River on a raft. With him is Jim, a black slave who is also running away. But life is not always easy for the two friends. And there's 300 dollars waiting for anyone who catches poor Jim...

In the jungle of Southern India the Seeonee Wolf-Pack has a new cub. He is not a wolf — he is Mowgli, a human child, but he knows nothing of the world of men. He lives and hunts with his brothers the wolves. Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther are his friends and teachers. And Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger, is his enemy. Kipling's famous story of Mowgli's adventures in the jungle has been loved by young and old for more than a hundred years.

Greg is a teenager with a problem — his father. After the death of Greg's mother in an accident, his father takes no interest in life at all. Greg tries hard to help him. His father is too old to rock and roll, of course... or is he? These short stories by Jan Mark look at life, love, and friendship through teenagers' eyes.