Books in Akasha Classics series

Nine Greek biographies illustrate the rise and fall of Athens, from the legendary days of Theseus, the city's founder, through Solon, Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon, Pericles, Nicias, and Alcibiades, to the razing of its walls by Lysander.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Please, sir, is this Plumfield? Asked a ragged boy of the man who opened the great gate at which the omnibus left him. "Yes. Who sent you?" "Mr. Laurence. I have got a letter for the lady." "All right; go up to the house, and give it to her; she'll see to you, little chap." The man spoke pleasantly, and the boy went on, feeling much cheered by the words. Through the soft spring rain that fell on sprouting grass and budding trees, Nat saw large square house before him a hospitable-looking house, with an old-fashioned porch, wide steps, and lights shining in many win-dows. Neither curtains nor shutters hid the cheerful glimmer; and, pausing a moment before he rang, Nat saw many little shadows dancing on the walls, heard the pleasant hum of young voices, and felt that it was hardly possible that the light and warmth and comfort within could be for a homeless "little chap" like him.

In a time when bravery and honor were valued above all else, a boy sets out to prove himself and save his family. It is the year 1400. In England, Henry IV has recently defeated Richard II, and there are hopes that a fresh era of peace and justice will reign with the new King. Myles Falworth, serving the Earl of Mackworth at his castle, dreams of becoming a knight and attaining glory. But his plans are rudely disrupted by the news that his father has been wrongly condemned for treason. Can Myles, young and still in training, find his family’s enemy and clear his father’s name? Filled with historical detail, Howard Pyle’s medieval adventure will delight readers young and old.

Mark Twain's first foray into historical fantasy is a witty and satirical tale of switched identities. Tom is a beggar in 16th-century England. A chance meeting with Edward, the crown prince, results in an instant friendship and a wild scheme. The two boys, almost identical in appearance, decide to take each other's place in society. The escapade that follows opens the eyes of both the prince and the pauper. But when the situation threatens to spiral out of control, will they be able to get back to the lives they knew? A thrilling adventure peppered with sharp criticism of class inequalities, The Prince and the Pauper has inspired countless imitators but remains an unmissable original.

From one of America's finest novelists comes an absorbing story of one man's mid-life crisis and struggle of conscience. Bartley Alexander is an engineer who has just received the greatest commission of his career - to design the Moorlock Bridge in Canada. Despite Bartley's professional success and apparently happy marriage, there is something missing in his life. An encounter with an old flame in London gives him a second lease on life, but can he reconcile this affair with his sense of personal integrity? Willa Cather's first novel, Alexander's Bridge is a thoughtful and compelling look at how our choices affect us and those around us.

From the author of The Jungle Book comes the tale of one man’s life-changing summer on the high seas. When a fishing schooner rescues a young man from the ocean off Newfoundland, they don’t believe his wild tales of being a millionaire’s son, nor do they appreciate his spoiled and lazy manner. But Harvey Cheyne is in fact a pampered rich kid whose fall off the deck of a luxury liner has turned his world upside down. Forced to become one of the crew until the boat finishes its expedition, Harvey finds there is more to life than getting everything you want. Rudyard Kipling’s fascination with the hard and often dangerous life of New England fishermen shines through in this adventure story, which will delight readers of all ages.

Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse’s classic account of one man’s search for enlightenment. Siddartha is a young man born into a Brahmin family during the time of the Buddha. Rather than take up the mantle which his advantages of birth have afforded him, he begins a lifelong journey through the very extremes of existence. From asceticism and spiritual devotion to immersion in physical pleasure, Siddartha finds that life’s meaning continues to elude him. A chance encounter at the river may hold the key. Hesse’s allegory, while steeped in the religion and philosophy of the East, is a highly personal look at the world and our place in it.

The high-spirited work of a young Dickens, The Pickwick Papers is the remarkable first novel that made its author famous and that has remained one of the best-known books in the world. In it the inimitable Samuel Pickwick, his well-fed body and unsinkable good spirits clad in tights and gaiters, sallies forth through the noisy streets of London and into the colorful country inns of rural England for a series of sparkling encounters with love and misadventure. From the wit of cockney bootblack Sam Weller to the unforgettable Fat Boy and rascals like the amorous Mr. Jingle and the unscrupulous lawyers Dodson and Fogg, The Pickwick Papers reels with joyous fantasy, infectious good humor, and a touch of the macabre—a classic work that G. K. Chesterton called “the great example of everything that made Dickens great…[a] supreme masterpiece.”

Bold heroes, fantastical monsters, and damsels in distress - prepare for an exhilarating ride courtesy of the master of pulp fiction! John Carter, prospector and civil war veteran, finds himself mysteriously transported to the planet Mars. There, the gravitational differences between Mars, or Barsoom as it is called by its inhabitants, and Earth mean that Carter has superhuman powers. This is fortunate for him, as Mars is populated with a host of fierce creatures and strange peoples who value combat above all else. Carter begins to carve out an existence for himself in this extraordinary new world, making allies and winning respect, when his world is once again turned upside down - this time by the most beautiful woman he has ever met, the Princess Dejah Thoris. A Princess of Mars was Edgar Rice Burroughs' first novel, and the first in his famous Barsoom series.

Jack London reveals the secrets of surviving as a hobo in the late-nineteenth century. Before he became a best-selling author, London spent time traveling on the railways of North America - catching trains, dodging conductors, spending time in jail, lying his way into meals and out of trouble. His experience formed the basis of his storytelling skills, and gave him an enduring compassion for the underdogs in society. The Road is a collection of essays and tales which chronicles this formative period in his life. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, but always compelling, The Road will take you to a forgotten chapter of North American life.

Rose in Bloom, by Louisa May Alcott - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Three young men stood together on a wharf one bright October day awaiting the arrival of an ocean steamer with an impatience which found a vent in lively skirmishes with a small lad, who pervaded the premises like a will-o'-the-wisp and afforded much amusement to the other groups assembled there. "They are the Campbells, waiting for their cousin, who has been abroad several years with her uncle, the doctor," whispered one lady to another as the handsomest of the young men touched his hat to her as he passed, lugging the boy, whom he had just rescued from a little expedition down among the piles.