Books published by publisher Assembled Stories

Revolutionary for the time in encouraging children to think like children, the adventure of Princess Irene and Curdie, the boy miner, was to influence generations of writers, including Chesterton and Tolkien. Overflowing with fantastic ideas and images to delight the young and allegory to inspire their morality The Princess and the Goblin has remained one of the most exciting tales for over 100 years. Irene lives in a castle on a mountain, under which there is a labyrinth of tunnels inhabited by Goblins. Also, within the hillsides, there is a group of miners digging for precious metals. When the Goblins try to kidnap the Princess and flood the mines, it is up to Curdie, the boy miner, and Irene’s great-great-great grandmother to use their wit and resources to defeat the wicked plan. ‘I for one can really testify to a book that has made a difference to my whole existence, which helped me to see things in a certain way from the start.... Of all the stories I have read, it remains the most real, the most realistic, in the exact sense of the phrase the most like life. It is called The Princess and the Goblin, and is by George MacDonald.‘ —G.K. Chesterton.

The Dark Flower has a universal theme - the positive powers and the disruptive effects of sexuality and desire. It is the story of Mark Lennan and his infatuation, adulterous affair, conventional marriage and obsession for a younger woman. The author drew on his own experiences for much of the substance of his work and was truly a free thinker with regard to the relationship between the sexes. Despite the moral debate, Galsworthy's prose has enormous narrative strength which sweeps the listener along from start to finish.

In 'Washington Square' James treats on a subject about which he was passionate - the relationship between parents and their children. Dr Sloper, a wealthy man, is in a difficult position. His son has died aged three years old. His wife also dies within two weeks of giving birth to their surviving daughter Catherine. She is a plain awkward child, yet capable of giving immense affection. She becomes fascinated by would-be man of the world Morris Townsend, falling in love with him very swiftly. Is Morris a fortune hunter? Is Catherine capable of making the right decision? Has Dr Sloper the right to control his daughter's destiny? The battle of wills is long and James, one feels, is not sure of the resolution. In Sloper's time and class what could he do? Listeners will find themselves caught on the horns of this moving dilemma.

The second of Richard Hannay's adventures takes him from the trenches of the First World War on a mission of vital importance to the British campaign in the East. In an attempt to manipulate their Turkish allies the Germans have created a religious figurehead, a prophet of a new order to unify the disparate tribes of Asia and crush the allied offensive. Pursued by the barbaric General Stumm, Hannay and his old South African friend and teacher Peter Pienaar with fellow soldier Sandy Arbuthnot and American engineer and less than ‘nootral’ John S. Blenkiron make their different ways to Constantinople to find the elusive Greenmantle and do what they can to avert disaster. But who is Greenmantle and what dastardly part has the sinister fanatic Hilda von Einem to play in the game which will determine the outcome of the war. Packed with incident and incredible feats of derring-do the story culminates at the offensive. Buchan’s life in politics and his work for the Intelligence Corps gave him knowledge and an insight that few others could have at the time. With remarkable prescience he reveals the main theme and keeps the attention to the last. About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as ‘excellent’, ‘remarkable’, ‘entrancing’, ‘superb’, ‘magic for sure’, ‘masterly’, ‘wonderful’, ‘a class act’ and ‘a splendid example of audio at its best’.

Over 100 years since it was first published Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow addresses subjects which are still relevant today – perhaps more so! Being hard up, being in the blues and being in love are just some aspects of the human condition on which Jerome K. Jerome reflects in his unique whimsical fashion. These insights are not given for the benefit of our education however, for as he says in his introduction, “This book would not elevate a cow. I cannot consciously recommend it for any useful purpose whatsoever. All I can suggest is, that when you get tired of reading ‘the best hundred books’ you may take this up for half an hour. It will be a change!” About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best".

This book was the inspiration for an enormous achievement. The Peoples Palace for the entertainment and instruction of the working class was opened in the East End in 1887, five years after the book was published. It had changed peoples lives and was an incredible support for those who had previously no art gallery, theatre, library, concert hall or gymnasium. The heroine of the book wants to tell these people "life is full, crammed full, overflowing with all kinds of delights. It is a mistake to think that only rich people can enjoy these things.... You shall learn music and forthwith all the world will be transformed for you; you shall learn to paint, to carve, to model, to design, and the day shall be too short to contain the happiness you will get out of it. You shall learn to dance and know the rapture of a waltz...you shall even learn the great art of writing and learn the magic of a charmed phrase." She does not wish this done purely for altruistic purposes. It is intended to imbue a critical faculty, to cultivate a sense of the arts that will civilise and import a sense of noble discontent which will endow the working man and woman with ambition. However, this is not just a book with a social agenda. It is a hugely informative story, part social documentary, part mystery, part thriller and not least a wonderful romance!

'You will conceive a bunch of grapes,' said he, 'which are covered by some infinitesimal but noxious bacillus. The gardener passes it through a disinfecting medium. It may be that he desires his grapes to be cleaner. It may be that he needs space to breed some fresh bacillus less noxious than the last. He dips it into the poison, and they are gone. Our gardener is, in my opinion, about to dip the solar system, and the human bacillus, the little mortal vibrio which twisted and wriggled upon the outer rind of the earth, will in an instant be sterilised out of existence.' And so Professor Challenger makes plans to ensure that he and his wife and three close friends are immune from the effects of the 'disinfecting medium', the poison belt, for as long as possible. As in The Lost World, Conan Doyle had these ideas long before our modern filmmakers, and his elucidation of scientific concepts in these adventurous and thrilling tales had enormous appeal for an audience which gained its knowledge from books. Sadly, the novel's ultimate appeal that 'solemnity and humility' would 'be the foundations upon which a more earnest and reverent race may build a more worthy temple' fell on stony ground. Within a year of its publication, most of Europe was embroiled in the most horrifying conflict the planet had ever witnessed, in which poisonous gas was to play an horrendous part.