All the best armchair travellers are sceptics. Those of the fourteenth century were no exception: for them, there were lies, damned lies, and Ibn Battutah's India. Born in 1304, Ibn Battutah left his native Tangier as a young scholar of law; over the course of the thirty years that followed he visited most of the known world between Morocco and China. Here Tim Mackintosh-Smith retraces one leg of the Moroccan's journey - the dizzy ladders and terrifying snakes of his Indian career as a judge and a hermit, courtier and prisoner, ambassador and castaway. From the plains of Hindustan to the plateaux of the Deccan and the lost ports of Malabar, the author reveals an India far off the beaten path of Taj and Raj. Ibn Battutah left India on a snake, stripped to his underpants by pirates; but he took away a treasure of tales as rich as any in the history of travel. Back home they said the treasure was a fake. Mackintosh-Smith proves the sceptics wrong. India is a jewel in the turban of the Prince of Travellers. Here it is, glittering, grotesque but genuine, a fitting ornament for his 700th birthday.

The Greatest Classics of All Time is an unprecedented compilation that traverses boundaries, epochs, and geographies to present a tapestry of human thought and narrative brilliance. Encompassing a vast range of literary styles from the pre-eminent figures of Western and Eastern literature, this anthology affords readers an exceptional view into the diversity of human experience and expression. Among the collection are seminal works that have shaped the course of literary and philosophical thought, revealing the depth of human emotion, the complexities of societal structures, and the eternal questions that have engaged humanity. Every piece, carefully selected for its enduring impact and relevance, contributes to a dialogue spanning centuries, from ancient wisdom to modern existential reflections. The contributing authors and editors are giants in their own right, drawn from the pantheon of world literature across ages. From the critical realism of Dickens and Balzac to the existential musings of Dostoyevsky; from the transcendental optimism of Whitman to the sharp political insights of Machiavelli; and the mystical depths of Tagore, this collection represents a confluence of literary movements and cultural epochs. Each author's unique background, perspective, and historical context enriches the anthology, offering readers a panoramic view of humanity's intellectual heritage. This assembly elucidates the interconnectedness of literature with history, culture, and philosophy, embodying the diverse expressions of human civilization. The Greatest Classics of All Time is not merely a collection of texts; it is an invitation to embark on a journey through the epochs of human thought and feeling. It offers readers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the masterworks of literature that have withstood the test of time, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the nuances of human experience. For scholars, students, and lovers of literature, this anthology promises a comprehensive educational experience, fostering a greater understanding of the world's literary and cultural traditions. It is a testament to the power of literature to cross boundaries, to challenge, and to enlighten, making it an essential addition to any collection.

Musaicum Books presents to you this unique collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Content: Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Mortal Immortal… John William Polidori: The Vampyre Bram Stoker: Dracula The Jewel of Seven Stars… Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera Marjorie Bowen: Black Magic James Malcolm Rymer & Thomas Peckett Prest: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Charles Dickens: The Mystery of Edwin Drood Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Black Cat… Henry James: The Turn of the Screw The Ghostly Rental… H. P. Lovecraft: The Dunwich Horror The Shunned House… Algernon Blackwood: The Willows A Haunted Island Ancient Sorceries… Théophile Gautier: Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot Richard Marsh: The Beetle Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles The Silver Hatchet… Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla Uncle Silas… Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho The Italian M. R. James: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary A Thin Ghost and Others Wilkie Collins: The Haunted Hotel The Devil's Spectacles Émile Erckmann & Alexandre Chatrian: The Man-Wolf The Waters of Death… Amelia B. Edwards: Monsieur Maurice The Phantom Coach… Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: The Wind in the Rose-bush The Shadows on the Wall Arthur Machen: The Great God Pan The Terror… William Hope Hodgson: The House on the Borderland The Night Land M. P. Shiel: Shapes in the Fire Ralph Adams Cram: Black Spirits and White Grant Allen: The Reverend John Creedy Wilhelm Hauff: The Severed Hand Adelbert von Chamisso: Shadowless Man Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Haunted and the Haunters… Robert E. Howard: Beyond the Black River Devil in Iron People of the Dark David Lindsay: The Haunted Woman Marie Belloc Lowndes: From Out the Vast Deep Edward Bellamy: Dr. Heidenhoff's Process

The biggest collection of supernatural, macabre, eerie, and gothic tales is here! Grab your copy and get ready for the chills down your spine: Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart The Cask of Amontillado The Black Cat… Henry James: The Turn of the Screw The Ghostly Rental… H. P. Lovecraft: The Dunwich Horror The Shunned House… Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Mortal Immortal The Evil Eye… John William Polidori: The Vampyre Bram Stoker: Dracula The Jewel of Seven Stars The Lair of the White Worm… Algernon Blackwood: The Willows A Haunted Island A Case of Eavesdropping Ancient Sorceries… Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera Marjorie Bowen: Black Magic Charles Dickens: The Mystery of Edwin Drood Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Théophile Gautier: Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot Richard Marsh: The Beetle Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles The Silver Hatchet… Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla Uncle Silas… M. R. James: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary A Thin Ghost and Others Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White The Haunted Hotel The Devil's Spectacles E. F. Benson: The Room in the Tower The Terror by Night… Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Birth Mark The House of the Seven Gables… Ambrose Bierce: Can Such Things Be? Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories Arthur Machen: The Great God Pan The Terror… William Hope Hodgson: The House on the Borderland The Night Land M. P. Shiel: Shapes in the Fire Ralph Adams Cram: Black Spirits and White Grant Allen: The Reverend John Creedy Dr. Greatrex's Engagement… Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto William Thomas Beckford: Vathek Matthew Gregory Lewis: The Monk Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights Rudyard Kipling: The Phantom Rickshaw Guy de Maupassant: The Horla Jerome K. Jerome: Told After Supper…