English As We Speak It In Ireland

By P.W. Joyce

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Sample pages from the book (PDF File)

• Adam's ale; water.
• Cat of a kind; like each other and both objectionable.
• Cut; a county tax; hence Cutman, the collector of it.
• Hearty; tipsy, exhilarated after a little 'drop.'
• Priest's share; the soul.
• Soft day; a wet day.

In Defense of Women

By H.L. Mencken

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Possibly the most insightful, and funny, book ever written on the relationships of American men and women. You can almost hear Mencken chomping his cigar and slapping his knee while he was putting this one on paper. We have still not seen his equal when it comes to social commentary.

Mencken discussing what men call women's intuition:
“But though every normal man thus cherishes the soothing unction that he is the intellectual superior of all women, and particularly of his wife, he constantly gives the lie to his pretension by consulting and deferring to what he calls her intuition. That is to say, he knows by experience that her judgment in many matters of capital concern is more subtle and searching than his own, and, being disinclined to accredit this greater sagacity to a more competent intelligence, he takes refuge behind the doctrine that it is due to some impenetrable and intangible talent for guessing correctly, some half mystical supersense, some vague (and, in essence, infra-human) instinct.”

This edition is enhanced with illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson, the premier illustrator in the U.S. during the early Twentieth century, and creator of the “Gibson Girl.”

Laotzu’s Tao Te Ching

Translated by Dwight Goddard

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A clear translation of Laotzu's classic, the Tao Te Ching, one of the world’s treasures. This translator had a real appreciation of Laotzu’s regard for simplicity.

Included with this edition is Mr. Henri Borel’s original essay, Wu Wei, which is a fine interpretation of the Taoist perspective, expressed in a totally charming and original way.

Both sections of this book are ideal for an introduction to the central work of Chinese philosophy, the Tao Te Ching. Mr. Goddard adds some welcome explanatory notes which are often very illuminating.

This edition includes numerous old Chinese paintings and drawings.

The Theory of the Theater

By Clayton Hamilton

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This work is one of the great textbooks on playcraft. The text offers a comprehensive look at the art of creating a successful play. Mr. Hamilton discusses theaters, audiences, playwrights, actors, types of drama, business considerations, and just about everything else that makes for a successful play. And although the text is one hundred years old, it is still made relevant by its clarity and truthfulness.

I have visually enhanced this edition with a number of posters from the plays discussed, and photos of the actors and playwrights discussed. The text is pretty much as I found it, other than the addition of italics. The slight editorial changes that I made were in the nature of “football” for “foot-ball.”

Mark Twain

By Archibald Henderson

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This is one of the first biographies written about Mark Twain, published shortly after his death. The author was acquainted with Twain, and had long admired his work. The book is well written, and full of Twain’s unique humor.

Here is one of Mr. Henderson's examples of Twain humor from his newspaper days in San Francisco.

“In The Golden Era an excellent example is found in the following observations upon a celebrated painting of Samson and Delilah, then on exhibition in San Francisco:”
“Now what is the first thing you see in looking at this picture down at the Bank Exchange? Is it the gleaming eye and fine face of Samson? or the muscular Philistine gazing furtively at the lovely Delilah? or is it the rich drapery? or is it the truth to nature in that pretty foot? No, sir. The first thing that catches the eye is the scissors at her feet. Them scissors is too modern; thar warn’t no scissors like them in them days—by a d—-d sight.”

The original book had photos by Alvin Langdon Coburn, but I have used only one of his photos. The photos included have been digitally enhanced, and sepia tones were added to the duller black and whites.

Benjamin Franklin, His Autobiography

By Benjamin Franklin

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Franklin describes the first fifty years of his life; growing up in Boston, moving to Philadelphia, the printing business, the public figure, his experiments with natural sciences, and his efforts to improve his own mind and character.

Although this work only describes 50 years of Franklin's life, it is a remarkable testament of a developing genius. He describes in detail his continuous efforts to make himself a better (more useful) person. He details the influences of his friends, Philadelphia neighbors, and the Quakers. Franklin was sixty-five when he began this writing, and past eighty when he wrote the final passages.

This edition is full of portraits and images from Franklin's rich life.

You Know Me Al

By Ring Lardner

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This edition also includes "Alibi Ike," one of Lardner's best baseball stories. “His right name was Francis X. Farrell, and I guess the X stood for 'Excuse me.' Because he never pulled a play, good or bad, on or off the field, without apologizin' for it.”

"You Know Me Al" is a collection of letters home from a "supremely confident" pitcher breaking into the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox. This is Lardner's best work, thoroughly skewering both baseball and the English language. His fictional player is surrounded by actual members of the White Sox, making a run for the “World Serious.”

This edition is full of photos of players, owners and managers mentioned in the text.

A Clear, Clarion Call to Arms

By Swen A. Larsen

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This book was written by my father and contains a short biography of each of the fifty-six signers of the American Declaration of Independence. Each biography is accompanied by a portrait or likeness of the individual, as well as pictures of properties they owned.

The book also contains an introduction describing the great risk taken by these often wealthy men. Many of them paid with both their fortunes and the lives for this singularly brave act.

John M. Synge, Recollections

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This short book is an intimate and insightful depiction of one of Ireland's great playwrights. The author spent leisurely days with Synge, and got to know his manner of thinking and working. Here is a sample of the author describing Synge:

”When I turn over my memories of him, it seems that his grave courtesy was only gay when he was talking to women. His talk to women had a lightness and charm. It was sympathetic; never self-assertive, as the hard, brilliant Irish intellect so often is. He liked people to talk to him. He liked to know the colours of people’s minds. He liked to be amused. His merriest talk was like playing catch with an apple of banter, which one afterwards ate and forgot.”

I have added some photos of Synge, and some of his photos. The last pages of this book include a list of Synge's plays and other writings.

The School for Scandal

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This fully-printable text is laid out for easy reading, with a lined column down the left side of each page for the addition of notes.

This is the full, original text of the play taken from Mr. Sheridan's own handwritten copies. A sample of Mr. Sheridan's wildly funny dialogue:

MRS. CANDOUR. To be sure they are; Tale Bearers are as bad as the Tale makers—’tis an old observation and a very true one—but what’s to be done as I said before—how will you prevent People from talking—to-day, Mrs. Clackitt assured me, Mr. and Mrs. Honeymoon were at last become mere man and wife—like the rest of their acquaintance—she likewise hinted that a certain widow in the next street had got rid of her Dropsy and recovered her shape in a most surprising manner—at the same time Miss Tattle, who was by affirm’d, that Lord Boffalo had discover’d his Lady at a house of no extraordinary Fame—and that Sir Harry Bouquet and Tom Saunter were to measure swords on a similar Provocation. but—Lord! do you think I would report these Things—No, no! Tale Bearers as I said before are just as bad as the Tale Makers.