The Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce. Illustrated

The Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce. Illustrated
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
Total Pages: 4052
Release: 2021-06-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Ambrose Bierce is considered a modern master of the short story. A soldier with the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865), his experiences as a soldier influenced his writing. While no anthology would be complete without "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", this collection of Bierce’s stories includes ghost stories, tales of war, humorous episodes, stinging aphorisms, and political articles. The Novellas The Short Story Collections The Poetry Collection The Non-Fiction Ambrose Bierce: A Biography by Carey McWilliams

Ambrose Bierce is Missing

Ambrose Bierce is Missing
Author: Joe Nickell
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2014-07-15
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0813164141

What constitutes historical truth is often subject to change. Through ingenious detection, the accepted wisdom of one generation may become the discredited legend of another—or vice versa. In this wide- ranging study of historical investigation, former detective Joe Nickell allows the reader to look over his shoulder as he demonstrates the use of varied techniques in solving some of the world's most perplexing mysteries. All the major categories of historical mystery are here—ancient riddles, biographical enigmas, hidden identity, "fakelore," questioned artifacts, suspect documents, lost texts, obscured sources, and scientific challenges. Each is then illustrated by a complete case from the author's own files. Nickell's investigation of the giant Nazca drawings in Peru, for example—thought by some to provide proof of ancient extraterrestrial visitations—uses innovative techniques to reveal a very different origin. Other cases concern the 1913 disappearance of writer and journalist Ambrose Bierce, the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the truth about the identity of John Demjanjuk ("Ivan the Terrible" to Polish death camp victims), the fate of a lost colonial American text, the authenticity of Abraham Lincoln's celebrated Bixby letter, and the apparent real-life model for a mysterious character in a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In reaching his solutions, Nickell demonstrates a wide variety of investigative techniques—chemical and instrumental analyses, physical experimentation, a "psychological autopsy," forensic identification, archival research, linguistic analysis, folklore study, and many others. His highly readable book will intrigue the scholar and the history buff no less than the mystery lover.

The Devil’s Dictionary

The Devil’s Dictionary
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Standard Ebooks
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2021-03-16T22:46:04Z
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

“Dictionary, n: A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.” Bierce’s groundbreaking Devil’s Dictionary had a complex publication history. Started in the mid-1800s as an irregular column in Californian newspapers under various titles, he gradually refined the new-at-the-time idea of an irreverent set of glossary-like definitions. The final name, as we see it titled in this work, did not appear until an 1881 column published in the periodical The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp. There were no publications of the complete glossary in the 1800s. Not until 1906 did a portion of Bierce’s collection get published by Doubleday, under the name The Cynic’s Word Book—the publisher not wanting to use the word “Devil” in the title, to the great disappointment of the author. The 1906 word book only went from A to L, however, and the remainder was never released under the compromised title. In 1911 the Devil’s Dictionary as we know it was published in complete form as part of Bierce’s collected works (volume 7 of 12), including the remainder of the definitions from M to Z. It has been republished a number of times, including more recent efforts where older definitions from his columns that never made it into the original book were included. Due to the complex nature of copyright, some of those found definitions have unclear public domain status and were not included. This edition of the book includes, however, a set of definitions attributed to his one-and-only “Demon’s Dictionary” column, including Bierce’s classic definition of A: “the first letter in every properly constructed alphabet.” Bierce enjoyed “quoting” his pseudonyms in his work. Most of the poetry, dramatic scenes and stories in this book attributed to others were self-authored and do not exist outside of this work. This includes the prolific Father Gassalasca Jape, whom he thanks in the preface—“jape” of course having the definition: “a practical joke.” This book is a product of its time and must be approached as such. Many of the definitions hold up well today, but some might be considered less palatable by modern readers. Regardless, the book’s humorous style is a valuable snapshot of American culture from past centuries. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

Civil War Stories

Civil War Stories
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2012-03-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0486111563

Sixteen dark and vivid tales by great satirist: "A Horseman in the Sky," "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "Chicakamauga," "A Son of the Gods," "What I Saw of Shiloh," more. Note.

Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)

Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Delphi Classics
Total Pages: 3491
Release: 2013-11-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1909496251

For the first time in publishing history, Delphi Classics is proud to present the complete works of master storyteller Ambrose Bierce. This comprehensive eBook is spiced with numerous illustrations, rare and forgotten texts, concise introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Bierce’s life and works * Concise introductions to the collections and other texts * The rare novella THE DANCE OF DEATH appears here for the first time in digital print * ALL the short story collections, with individual contents tables * Featuring 475 tales, many appearing for the first time in digital print * Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Famous works such as COBWEBS FROM AN EMPTY SKULL are fully illustrated with their original artwork * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry, essays and the short stories * Easily locate the works you want to read * The complete non-fiction, with many scarce essays and newspaper articles * Includes Bierce’s letters – spend hours exploring the author’s personal correspondence * Special criticism section, with essays evaluating Bierce’s contribution to literature * Also provides a unique ‘Biercian Texts’ section with interesting articles on the works and disappearance of Ambrose Bierce * Features a bonus full biography – discover Bierce’s literary life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres CONTENTS: The Novellas THE DANCE OF DEATH THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER THE LAND BEYOND THE BLOW The Short Story Collections THE FIEND’S DELIGHT COBWEBS FROM AN EMPTY SKULL PRESENT AT A HANGING, AND OTHER GHOST STORIES IN THE MIDST OF LIFE: TALES OF SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS CAN SUCH THINGS BE? FANTASTIC FABLES NEGLIGIBLE TALES THE PARENTICIDE CLUB THE FOURTH ESTATE THE OCEAN WAVE KINGS OF BEASTS TWO ADMINISTRATIONS MISCELLANEOUS TALES The Short Stories LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Poetry Collections BLACK BEETLES IN AMBER SHAPES OF CLAY FABLES IN RHYME SOME ANTE-MORTEM EPITAPHS THE SCRAP HEAP The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Non-Fiction THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL, AND OTHER ESSAYS THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY WRITE IT RIGHT ASHES OF THE BEACON “ON WITH THE DANCE!”: A REVIEW A CYNIC LOOKS AT LIFE TANGENTIAL VIEWS BITS OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES AND REVIEWS UNCOLLECTED ESSAYS The Essays LIST OF ESSAYS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF ESSAYS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Letters THE LETTERS OF AMBROSE BIERCE The Criticism AMBROSE BIERCE by Vincent Starrett AMBROSE BIERCE: AN APPRAISAL by Frederic Tabor Cooper ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO BOOST BIERCE INTO IMMORTALITY THE UNDERGROUND REPUTATION OF AMBROSE BIERCE AMBROSE BIERCE by Ella Sterling Cummins Biercian Texts LIST OF BIERCIAN ARTICLES AND REVIEWS The Biography AMBROSE BIERCE: A BIOGRAPHY by Carey McWilliams

The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 438
Release: 2010-09-15
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0820326348

If we could only put aside our civil pose and say what we really thought, the world would be a lot like the one alluded to in The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary. There, a bore is "a person who talks when you wish him to listen," and happiness is "an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another." This is the most comprehensive, authoritative edition ever of Ambrose Bierce’s satiric masterpiece. It renders obsolete all other versions that have appeared in the book’s ninety-year history. A virtual onslaught of acerbic, confrontational wordplay, The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary offers some 1,600 wickedly clever definitions to the vocabulary of everyday life. Little is sacred and few are safe, for Bierce targets just about any pursuit, from matrimony to immortality, that allows our willful failings and excesses to shine forth. This new edition is based on David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi’s exhaustive investigation into the book’s writing and publishing history. All of Bierce’s known satiric definitions are here, including previously uncollected, unpublished, and alternative entries. Definitions dropped from previous editions have been restored while nearly two hundred wrongly attributed to Bierce have been excised. For dedicated Bierce readers, an introduction and notes are also included. Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary is a classic that stands alongside the best work of satirists such as Twain, Mencken, and Thurber. This unabridged edition will be celebrated by humor fans and word lovers everywhere.

The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter

The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: The Floating Press
Total Pages: 111
Release: 2012-11-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1775560457

This highly entertaining novel about three Franciscan monks is something of a departure for author Ambrose Bierce, who typically wrote about his own time. The story, which takes the form of a diary penned by the main character, Ambrosius. Though he faithfully carries out the duties of his office, he struggles with temptation, particularly after meeting the beguiling Benedicta, who happens to be the hangman's daughter of the title.

The Damned Thing and Other Horrors: The Best Weird Fiction and Ghost Stories of Ambrose Bierce: Annotated and Illustrated

The Damned Thing and Other Horrors: The Best Weird Fiction and Ghost Stories of Ambrose Bierce: Annotated and Illustrated
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Oldstyle Tales of Murder, Myst
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2019-01-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781794557499

He was the successor of Edgar Allan Poe and a harbinger of H. P. Lovecraft, penning some of the most shocking, savage horror stories in the English language. His dark, literary universe was haunted by shadowy monsters who never quite revealed themselves, only stalking in the dim background like woodland predators around a campfire. And what better stories for any campfire's company: he wrote twilight tales of seductive werewolves, zombie resurrections, nights spent with corpses in empty houses, haunted cabins, killer robots, wartime ghost stories, invisible predators, reincarnated spirits, family curses, ghoul-haunted graveyards, jilted ghosts' violent revenges, mysterious disappearances, spectral visions, guilt-maddened murderers, and battlefield carnage. There was never a better author to read around the snapping flare of a lonely campsite than the rustic, existential horror stories of Ambrose Bierce. In death, as in life, Bierce is defined by contradictions. He was a mystical materialist, a cynical idealist, and a compassionate curmudgeon. His stories - especially those which we can classify as horror or fantasy - illustrate a world which fails to live up to its promises. As he wrote in "The Devil's Dictionary," a ghost is the outward sign of an inward fear - a visual signifier of a spiritual sickness. His stories are loaded with spooks of this sort. These are the ghosts of what should be. They are the ghosts of a murdered potential: the potential to do life well - properly, as it should be. His stories are haunted by monsters of automated technology ("Moxon's Master"), intellectual insecurity ("The Damned Thing"), sexual anxiety ("Eyes of the Panther"), and hereditary corruption. Failure is the chief of all these phantoms, however. Failure to do what one ought, and become what one should. This was a deeply personal boogeyman for Bierce. One which cast its shadow over his life and stamped its footprints into his fiction. What he left behind him, after vanishing into the dusty Mexican air, was a universe bedeviled by disappointment - in mankind, in the universe, and in himself. It is a raw and savage universe, but one dimly illuminated by Bierce's frustrated idealism. We can see the shadows for that light, but in those shadows, what monsters lurk.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
Total Pages: 19
Release: 2018-08-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1528786017

Classic Books Library presents this brand new edition of the short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (1890) by Ambrose Bierce. In this text Bierce creatively uses both structure and content to explore the concept of time, from present to past, and reflecting its transitional and illusive qualities. The story is one of Bierce’s most popular and acclaimed works, alongside “The Devil’s Dictionary” (1911). Bierce (1842-c. 1914) was an American writer, journalist and Civil War veteran associated with the realism literary movement. His writing is noted for its cynical, brooding tones and structural precision.