18 books like The History of England
A Christmas garland
Few writers have possessed Max Beerbohm's talent for parody, and 'A Christmas Garland' is perhaps the best collection of parodies ever written in English. Here are glorious, often loving spoofs of Beerbohm's well-known contemporaries - Henry James, George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Well, George Meredith, John Galsworthy, and others - woven together by a…
Shares: British Literature, Satire, Humor
Strangers in Time
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.
Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable…
Shares: British Literature, Historical
Mariana
Monica Dickens's first book, published in 1940, could easily have been called Mariana - an Englishwoman. For that is what it is: the story of a young English girl's growth towards maturity in the 1930s. We see Mary at school in Kensington and on holiday in Somerset; her attempt at drama school; her year in Paris learning dressmaking and getting engaged to the wrong man; her time as a secretary…
Shares: British Literature, Historical, Classics
Figures of Earth
The story of Manuel, a swineherd in thirteenth-century France, who becomes Count Manuel of Poictesme. The motto on his coat of arms is "Mundus Vult Decipi"--The world wishes to be deceived. It is in playing on others' expectations that he rises to hero status and becomes Manuel the Redeemer.
Shares: Comedy, Wit and humor, Humor
Le rire; essai sur la signification du comique
En este ensayo Henri Bergson analiza las diversas cosas que provocan la risa con el fin de determinar los elementos humorísticos que nos hacen reí. Bergson describe la risa como un ser vivo que tiene un objetivo en gran parte social.
Henri Bergson (1859-1941) fue el primer gran filósofo del siglo XX. Su originalísima obra, a menudo situada entre el análisis psicológico, la sociología, la…
Shares: Comedy, Wit and humor, Humor
Thurber Carnival
James Thurber's unique ability to convey the vagaries of life in a funny, witty, and often satirical way earned him accolades as one of the finest humorists of the twentieth century. A bestseller upon its initial publication in 1945, The Thurber Carnival captures the depth of his talent and the breadth of his wit. The stories compiled here, almost all of which first appeared in The New Yorker,…
Shares: Humor, Short Stories, Biography & Memoir, History
Apocolocyntosis
13 works of Seneca the Younger
Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist (4 BC - 65 AD)
This ebook presents a collection of 13 works of Seneca the Younger. A dynamic table of contents allows you to jump directly to the work selected.
Table of Contents:
Apocolocyntosis
L. Annaeus Seneca On Benefits
Of a Happy Life
Of Anger
Of Clemency
Of Consolation to Helvia
Of Consolation To Marcia
Of…
Shares: Satire, Wit and humor, Humor, History
The Dragon and the Raven
For many years England was assailed by Danish hordes whose barbarians reduced the Saxons to pitiable legions of disconnected and ravished communities. In the later 800's A.D. a man named Alfred emerged from the darkened European scene and by his wisdom and knowledge and bravery, he gathered together an army of valorous warriors who banished the Vikings back to the North. This true historic tale…
Shares: Great Britain, History
Bossypants
Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Some of the…
Shares: Comedy, Wit and humor, Biography & Memoir
Carry On, Jeeves
'You don't analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.' Stephen FryA Jeeves and Wooster collectionThese marvellous stories introduce us to Jeeves, whose first ever duty is to cure Bertie's raging hangover ('If you would drink this, sir... it is a little preparation of my own invention. It is the Worcester Sauce that gives it its colour. The raw egg makes it…
Shares: Wit and humor, Classics, Humor
The four men; a farrago
A “Farrago” is a “confused mixture,” an apt subtitle for this 1911 semi-fictional travelogue and love song to Hilaire Belloc’s home County of Sussex. It is full to bursting with humor, songs (often including scores), speeches, drawings, fables, digressions, poetry, and legends, often partially or wholly invented, but all in service of Belloc’s deep belief in “the character of enduring things.”…
Shares: Comedy, Humor
Letters from the Earth
The eponymous story, “Letters from the Earth,” is a set of eleven letters written by Satan to the archangels Gabriel and Michael about his travels. Satan finds human beliefs about themselves almost insane, pointing out that their conception of heaven leaves out everything humans find most pleasurable in life (particularly sex). He also considers God’s hypocrisies: not forgiving Adam and Eve even…
Shares: Satire, Wit and humor, Humor
More Fables
After he had Registered at the Hotel and Swelled Up properly when addressed as "Mister" by the Clerk, he wanted to know if there was a Lively Show in Town. The Clerk told him to follow the Street until he came to all the Electric Lights and there he would find a Ballet. Uncle Brewster found the Place and looked in through the Hole at an Assistant Treasurer who was Pale and wore a Red Vest.
Shares: Wit and humor, Humor
Are you a bromide?, or, The sulphitic theory expounded and exemplified according to the most recent researches into the psychology of boredom
This book is perfectly adapted and layout for a pleasant reading on a tablet, smartphone or computer. To improve your reading experience,
this digital version has been edited and formatted according to the requirements of this platform.
Shares: Wit and humor, Humor
Observations by Mr. Dooley
Observations by Mr Dooley presents a witty and sharp examination of society through the eyes of an observer who spends each day surrounded by conversations, opinions, and shifting beliefs. The narrative uses a relaxed conversational tone to explore how people respond to cultural trends, political debates, and the constant urge to appear informed. Instead of focusing on individuals, the book…
Shares: Wit and humor, Humor
Mr. Sponge's sporting tour
Ill-mannered foxhunter Mr. Sponge is the anti-hero of this 1853 farce of Victorian England. This book also includes illustrations by John Leech.
Shares: Wit and humor, Humor
East of Eden
Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this powerful, often brutal novel, follows the interwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of…
Shares: Classics
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is the 1954 debut novel of British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of prepubescent British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves that lead to a descent into savagery. The novels themes include morality, leadership, and the tension between civility and chaos.
Shares: Classics