Best of
Abandoned

1954

The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set


J.R.R. Tolkien - 1954
    Tolkien's classic masterpiece, together with The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, an annotated guide to all three parts of the Book of the Century.Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike. One hundred million copies of its many editions have been sold around the world, and occasional collectors' editions become prized and valuable items of publishing. Now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first publication, the text has been fully restored with almost 400 corrections - with the full co-operation of Christopher Tolkien - making it the definitive version of the text, and as close as possible to the version that J.R.R. Tolkien wanted. In addition to now having the definitive version of the text, this paperback set also includes a companion volume, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, a unique annotated guide to the text, which will enhance the reader's enjoyment and understanding of the book of the 20th century.

The Dollmaker


Harriette Simpson Arnow - 1954
    Uprooted from her backwoods home, she and her family are thrust into the confusion and chaos of wartime Detroit. And in a pitiless world of unendurable poverty, Gertie will battle fiercely and relentlessly to protect those things she holds most dear -- her children, her heritage . . . and her triumphant ability to create beauty in the suffocating shadow of ugliness and despair.

The First and Last Freedom


Jiddu Krishnamurti - 1954
    In The First and Last Freedom he cuts away symbols and false associations in the search for pure truth and perfect freedom. Through discussions on suffering, fear, gossip, sex and other topics, Krishnamurti’s quest becomes the readers, an undertaking of tremendous significance.

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West


Wallace Stegner - 1954
    But it didn't stop him from exploring the American West. Here Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, gives us a thrilling account of Powell's struggle against western geography and Washington politics. We witness the successes and frustrations of Powell's distinguished career, and appreciate his unparalleled understanding of the West.<

The Open Book


Veniamin Kaverin - 1954
    We see the world of idealistic young people who are trying to change the world for the better -- world of happy people who are never sick. The plot is concentrated about the life of microbiologists and doctors...Amazon Customer's Review

The Blackboard Jungle


Evan Hunter - 1954
    A timeless rendering of youth culture set against the backdrop of 1950s New York City, "The Blackboard Jungle" speaks powerfully to the alarming epidemic of violence and security issues in today's schools.

Faulkner Reader


William Faulkner - 1954
    The Sound and the Fury, selections from other novels, three novellas, nine stories, the Nobel Prize address, etc.

Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets, Revised and Enlarged


George Balanchine - 1954
    Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets, by Balanchine, George and Francis Mason

Men, Women and Pianos: A Social History


Arthur Loesser - 1954
    In this admirably balanced and leisurely account of the popular instrument, the late, internationally known concert pianist Arthur Loesser takes a "piano's-eye view" of the recent social history of Western Europe and the United States.Drawing on newspapers, music manuscripts, popular accounts, and other sources, Loesser traces the history of the piano from its predecessors, the clavichord and the harpsichord, to the modern spinet and concert grand. Chapter headings such as "Clavichords Make Weeping Easier," "The Harpsichord Grows Feet," "The More Pianos the Merrier," and "The Keyboards Go West" suggest the author's lighthearted approach to topics ranging from the piano's European origins and its introduction in the United States to the decline of piano manufacturing in the early twentieth century and the "victory of airborne music" by mid-century. A preface by historian Jacques Barzun and a new foreword by music critic Edward Rothstein enhance a volume rich in wit and knowledge — one that will delight any reader with an interest in the piano and on Western cultural history.

The Song of Ruth


Frank G. Slaughter - 1954
    So great was her beauty that men stopped in battle to look at her. Boaz was the dynamic general of the Israelite army. Theirs was a love so great that it overcame bitter hatred, war and exile.In a country of strangers, accused of being a spy and pursued by the lust of her enemies, Ruth became, through devotion and courage, the heroine of the Bible's most memorable love story.

Michelet


Roland Barthes - 1954
    Neither a biography nor a critique, Michelet is Barthes's effort to give the reader a sense of the whole man.