Best of
19th-Century

1902

The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians


James P. Beckwourth - 1902
    Beckwourth would go on to become one of the most remarkable mountain men to have ever lived. In 1824 Beckwourth left Missouri to head to the Rocky Mountains to work for William Ashley’s Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He would never turn back. In his fascinating life, spent in the mountains and plains of the West, he lived as a trapper, hunter, guide, horse thief and Indian fighter. What is particularly fascinating about Beckwourth’s book is his insight into the culture of the Native Americans, as for many years, this son of a slave and a slave owner, lived with the Crow Nation, trapping, hunting, marrying two of their women and raiding alongside them. It is even stated that he rose to the position of Chief of the Crow Nation. First published in 1856, The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth is a unique account of life in pioneer America in the early-nineteenth century. "This is a book of great importance to an understanding of the mountains, plains, and Great Basin West." California Historical Quarterly "It remains what it always has been since its first appearance in 1856—a rousing adventure story in which Jim Beckwourth plays the leading role." San Francisco Chronicle James Beckwourth was the only African American in the West to have his life story published. He was credited with the discovery of Beckwourth Pass which aided pioneers in reaching their destination in the West. He died in 1866.

Selected Poetry


Samuel Taylor Coleridge - 1902
    He is best known for his visionary poetry ('Kubla Khan') and his ballads ('The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'), but he used and transformed a variety of verse forms, from the sonnet to the conversation poem, on subjects as diverse as nature, love, and politics. This selection calls attention to the range of Coleridge's work, its strong autobiographical content,and its artistic development throughout his career. The old chronological form has been abandoned and the poems are organised according to genre, with each section displaying its own individual development in craft and theme.

The Works of Guy de Maupassant, Volume 4 (of 8)


Guy de Maupassant - 1902
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

A Welsh Witch


Allen Raine - 1902
    But Catrin's loneliness is eased by a growing friendship with Goronwy, with whom she shares her knowledge of the underground waterways of the 'Deep Stream' lying beneath Treswnd. Before he can fully appreciate her strength, however, he must undergo a shipwreck and a coal pit disaster in south Wales that leaves them trapped for days underground, 'along with the dead, the dying, and the frenzied around him,' while Catrin escapes the opprobrium of her neighbours by running away with Nancy Wood and her Welsh gipsy tribe.First published in 1902, A Welsh Witch parallels a superstitious fishing village and an early industrial community with its harsh working conditions, and explores the ways in which human resilience and empathy can make a 'romance of rough places'.

Youth & The End of the Tether


Joseph Conrad - 1902
    In it he captures a young man's exhilaration in the face of danger and the unknown.THE END OF THE TETHER is of a different mold. Captain Whalley, aging but still afloat, compromises his principles without understanding what can follow. But life, like the sea, is unsparing, and the captain's fate arrives in due course, served up with Conrad's own brand of uncompromising logic.