Showing results by author "Ambrose Bierce" in All Categories

While we tend to think of the great thinkers as hailing from Ancient Greece, the 20th century has had more than its fair share of sharp minds. "500 Quotations from the Great Philosophers of the 20th Century" is a collection of reflections, insights, and observations from some of the best brains of that era. A superb book for dipping in and out of, this makes a great gift for anyone with an interest in history or philosophy.

Ambrose Bierce's short stories are generally held to be among the best of the 19th century. He wrote realistically of the terrible things he had seen in the war in such stories as An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge ( also available from Audible ) and Chickamauga. In Chickamauga, he gives a vivid description, through the eyes of a child, of the aftermath of a Civil War battle. The reason for the child's unusual reaction to the scene is revealed in a startling conclusion.

In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Ambrose Bierce spins a gripping tale of psychological tension and the brutal realities of war. Set during the American Civil War, the story follows Peyton Farquhar, a Southern plantation owner who is sentenced to death by hanging for attempting to sabotage a Union railroad bridge. As Farquhar faces his imminent demise, Bierce masterfully plays with the boundaries of time and perception, drawing readers into a haunting exploration of life, death, and the mind's final moments.

Five great American short story writers, dating from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, are represented here. Different in atmosphere and writing style, they nevertheless caught the mood and concerns of the day in a way that was distinctly American.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was an American author and Civil War veteran. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is a short story set during the American Civil War and is considered Bierce's finest work.

Famous for its irregular time sequence and twist ending, this is Bierce's most anthologized story.

The time is the American Civil War: Southern plantation-owner Peyton Farquahr has been condemned to death for spying against the Union cause. As he prepares to be hanged from the Owl Creek Bridge, Farquahr morosely contemplates his fate and fondly recalls his loving wife.

A man convicted of being a saboteur for the Confederacy during the American Civil War stands on Owl Creek Bridge with a noose around his neck. As the procedures for his hanging are carried out, he seizes an opportunity to escape.

There is a bridge at Owl Creek that is surrounded by dry and cracking driftwood. Burning the bridge would be the perfect way for a civilian Southerner to strike a blow against the Union Army. But Peyton Farkuar doesn't make it that far and instead finds a rope around his neck.

Ambrose Bierce's classic weird tale, first published in 1886, brings us the eerie visons of a feverish man, and introduces to the world the strange realm of Carcosa. Following this telling is a commentary tracing the origins, influence and importance of this Bierce story.

Fasten your seat belts for an anthology of turbulent tales curated by Stephen King and Bev Vincent. This exciting new collection includes an original introduction and story notes for each story by Stephen King, and brand-new stories from Stephen King and Joe Hill.

A comprehensive and varied collection of the best vampire stories from the Victorian era by the greatest Gothic writers of the time. Includes: 'The Horla' by Guy de Maupassant; 'Mrs. Amworth' by E. F. Benson; 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' by John Keats; 'Dracula's Guest' by Bram Stoker; 'The Bride of Corinth' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; 'Will' by Vincent O'Sullivan; 'Ken's Mystery' by Julian Hawthorne.

A deserted cabin deep in the woods. One door, one window. The window is boarded up. The former resident - a recluse - is deceased. Is there a story here? Estate liquidators make a living disposing of the personal effects of deceased persons. Typically these are elderly people who may have lived alone, and were considered a bit strange because of their aloofness. But as the liquidator goes through the effects of the deceased, they occasionally find a story. Here, Ambrose Bierce explorers some possibilities.

Upon the demise of his beloved wife, a man finds himself trapped in the dark within his home with her and some thing.

A sentry falls asleep at his post, leading to dire consequences. This is a classic tale about the terrible cost of the Civil War, which divided entire families.

This is a story from The Moonlit Road collection. These five 19th-century ghost stories from both sides of the Atlantic provide some of the best chills in the genre. Ambrose Bierce is well-known, but "To Let" by B. M. Croker and "The Upper Berth" also provide moments to tingle the spine, as does "An Account of Some Strange Disturbances" by Le Fanu. This collection, which is further enhanced by suitably chilling music, was originally released under the title Classic Chilling Tales 3.

A young man accused of the appalling murder of his mother is acquitted on the grounds that his crime is almost harmless in comparison with his previous murder of his uncle, which was both barbaric and highly unusual. Written with Ambrose Bierce's uniquely witty and tongue-in-cheek style.

A new volume of exciting stories from 19th- and 20th-century American and British masters and mistresses of the art of story-telling, read by award-winning narrators.

Today we have ghosts that haunted our ancestors, as well as our own modern revenants, and there appears to be no earthly use trying to banish or exorcise them by such a simple strategy as refusing to believe in them. Since man knows that whether or not he has seen a ghost, presently he will become one, and thus he has become fascinated with the subject. Therefore he creates ghosts, not merely in his own image, but according to his dreams of power.

Sixteen thrilling and chilling stories by some of the greatest writers of horror and the supernatural, including Bram Stoker, H.P. Lovecraft, Charles Dickens, Ambrose Bierce, R.L.Stevenson, Guy de Maupassant and John Polidori, who is held to be the creator of the first vampire tale. An audio treat for Halloween or any other night when the moon is high, these stories are rich in imagination, humor, and characterization.