Books published by publisher Akasha Classics

E. Nesbit, the celebrated English children’s author, retells Shakespeare’s most famous plays in an accessible and entertaining fashion. Originally styled ‘A Home Study Course’, this collection of twenty stories was intended to introduce young children to the plays of Shakespeare. It is written in a style that is both engaging and easily understood, and Nesbit’s admiration for the original works is apparent throughout. Whether you are learning about Shakespeare for the first time or seeking to refresh your memory, Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare is a highly enjoyable book.

Heroes sometimes come in unlikely packages. Someone is sneaking aristocrats out of France before they can be executed by Robespierre's revolutionaries. French agent Chauvelin is determined to catch this mysterious character, known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. To do so he blackmails a beautiful French actress, recently married to a dimwitted English baronet, Sir Percy Blakeney. Marguerite Blakeney must make a choice between her brother and an unknown hero - with many more lives at stake! The Scarlet Pimpernel, an exhilarating story by the Baroness Orczy, was a sensation when it first appeared. It spawned an entire series of novels featuring the masked rescuer.

From the master of the western comes a tale of love tested by the rugged life of the American Southwest. Glenn Kilbourne returned from World War I a changed man. Suffering from shell shock and disillusioned by what he witnessed, he can no longer stomach his high-flying former life in New York City. In the canyons of Arizona he finds a kind of peace with himself, and has no desire to go back to his old life. Where does this leave his glamorous fiancé Carley? Can she too grow to love life in the Wild West, far away from the high society she is used to? Zane Grey is one of America’s favorite authors, with a love of the West that shines through in his many novels.

One of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, King John reaches far back in English history to the struggle for the throne that ensued after the death of Richard Coeur de Lion. Supported by their conniving mother Queen Eleanor, his younger brother John assumes the crown, but immediately there is a rival claim from his nephew Arthur. When John hears that the King of France supports Arthur's claim, John declares war. His plans are thrown off course by the arrival of the pope's ambassador come to excommunicate him. Lacking the heroism of his deceased brother, and possessed of a shifty temperament, John doesn't shy away from cold-blooded savagery. Filled with political intrigue, backroom deals and shifting alliances, King John is a rarely performed and often under- rated masterpiece.

Like several of Shaw's early plays, The Devil's Disciple - first produced in 1897 and published in his collection Three Plays for Puritans in 1901 - takes an existing popular theatrical form, in this case melodrama, and adapts it to serve Shaw's dramatic purposes. Two of the ideals that Shaw sets out to attack in this play are the ideal of the family and the ideal of marriage. The play is set during the Revolutionary War and is the fictional story of Richard Dudgeon, an American hero. He revolts against the ideal of the family to the extent that he has rejected his own family. Identifying with the devil has prevented his spirit being taken over by his mother's life-denying religion. Though being a melodrama, it is not without humor, particularly in the character of General Burgoyne. It was Shaws first play that was financially successful and helped to assure his career as a playwright.

The Scouts of the Valley is an exciting tale set on the Western frontier during the American Revolution. Though still young, Henry Ware is already an experienced outdoorsman. Having moved from Virginia to the wilds of Kentucky, he has happily made the forest his home. Now he and his friends - Paul, Silent Tom, Long Jim, and Shif'less Sol - are called upon to help the settlers who are plagued by the British on one side and the hostile Iroquois on the other. Joseph Altsheler's historical fiction has been popular with generations of young readers. The Scouts of the Valley is part of his 'Young Trailers' series, bringing to life the early days of European settlement in Kentucky.

Evangeline is the epic tale of one woman's search for her lost love. In the tumult of the Acadian expulsion from Canada, Evangeline Bellefontaine is separated from her beloved Gabriel Lajeunesse. As she journeys across the United States, she anxiously tries to find a trace of Lajeunesse, without success. Years go by and Evangeline despairs of ever seeing her love's face again. But when all hope seems gone, the couple is given one final chance to reunite... One of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's most famous long poems, Evangeline is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the endurance of love.

The Rainbow Trail is a tale of survival, rescue, and revenge, all steeped in the atmosphere of the Wild West. Twenty years ago, Jane Withersteen and her adopted daughter Fay Larkin were trapped in a remote canyon by evil men, and have not been heard from since. John Shefford, a preacher from Illinois, is determined to find out what happened to Jane and Fay. But will he be able to overcome all of the obstacles in his way – including a harsh landscape, vicious outlaws, and hostile villagers? The Rainbow Trail is Zane Grey’s sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage, but stands as an exciting adventure in its own right.

Phaedrus is one of Plato's best-loved dialogues, remarkable as a work of both philosophy and poetry. Lured into the countryside by the promise of a new speech, Socrates sits in the shade and talks with Phaedrus, a young amateur rhetorician. After Phaedrus recites a speech on love, Socrates delivers two speeches of his own, contrasting the baneful love induced by human folly with love as the divinely inspired blessing of holy madness. Interwoven is a discussion on rhetoric and its relation to truth. Full of charm and gentle irony, Phaedrus is an engaging celebration of love as the path to wisdom.

Greyfriars Bobby is the poignant story of Scotland's most famous dog. Bobby, a Skye terrier, lived in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. He was devoted to his kind master and enjoyed his life. When the man died, the little dog's devotion continued unabated, as he kept a nighttime vigil at his master's unmarked grave in Greyfriars cemetery. For the rest of his life - all fourteen years of it - Bobby's routine remained the same. Nothing, not even the efforts of the highest city officials, could dissuade him from sleeping near the resting place of his best friend. With its lovable hero and engaging portrayal of nineteenth century Edinburgh, Eleanor Atkinson's fictionalized account of a real-life dog will entertain readers of all ages.

The Border Legion is the adventure of a daring frontierswoman and the men she inspires. Joan Randle is a strong, capable woman living with her uncle in the wilds of Idaho. She likes Jim Cleve but is impatient with his laziness. After a quarrel, Jim heads to the lawless Montana border to prove himself, and a remorseful Joan tries to track him and bring him back. She finds herself in trouble when Jim Kells, the outlaw and scourge of the border, comes across her camp. What follows is an unexpected tale of crime, dissolution, bravery and redemption. Zane Grey's westerns have been enjoyed by generations of readers - try them for yourself!