Hesperus Press: 55 books

Do you know your abbess from your elbowshaker? Originally printed as a guide to street slang for men of quality, this reference guide will enrich your vocabulary with vulgar witticisms fashionable more than 200 years ago. The avowed purpose of this dictionary was to give men "of fashion"...

A stunning new translation of Mahmoud Darwish’s intertwining poetic narrative, presenting a profound portrait of the Palestinian people, the human condition, and Darwish’s own hopes and dreams Since Mahmoud Darwish's death, his poetic writings continue to be read by an audience in awe....

The story that inspired the Tchaikovsky ballet is a magical tale of one little girl’s decent into a dream-like world where the diabolical Mouse King rules Full of magic and childish wonder, this coming-of-age novella has something for everyone: beautiful dolls, ferocious battles, and dark...

First published in 1862, this seminal work in bartending marks the first time many of today's classics were recorded in print. Collected here by Jerry Thomas—America’s most famous bartender—are dozens of cocktail recipes, from old standards to mixes invented by Thomas himself, including his...

From advice on how to treat ladies, how to behave at a party, and rules for traveling abroad, this handy 19th-century guidebook will provide entertaining nuggets of wisdom Ever wondered what to do in polite society if you find an insect in your food? Or how a gentleman should ask a lady to...

This charming and witty prequel to Cranford is a neglected Gaskell classic with all the period detail, distinctively drawn characters, and a well-knitted plot associated with her works Enjoying the comforts of his well-kept home, country doctor William Harrison is prevailed upon by his longtime...

A delightful meditation on the pleasures of bachelor bonding and an example of collaborative journalism at its best   In autumn 1857, Charles Dickens embarked on a sightseeing trip to Cumberland with his friend, the rising star of literature Wilkie Collins. Writing together, they reported...

Critically acclaimed when first published in France in 1946, and now in a new translation, this is a lightly fictionalized account of a true story of a Jewish family's desperate attempts to lie low in a Nazi-dominated World War II France Having emigrated from Budapest and Warsaw respectively,...

Charlotte Brontë is one of the world’s best-loved writers. Her extraordinary literary talent manifested itself at an early age when she penned a series of imaginative and entertaining tales. Before her untimely death at the age of 38 she produced the masterpieces Jane Eyre, Shirley, and Vilette....

Author of the first detective novel in English, Wilkie Collins was one of the most popular authors in Victorian England. In this illuminating biography, Melisa Klimaszewski situates the writer within his own milieu and demonstrates how his work sparks new understandings of Victorian life and letters....

The first English language translation of a chilling murder mystery by a prolific Japanese detective novelist   ‘Prosecutor Tsuchida, I am being held here as a murderer. But the truth is that I am probably not that murderer. That’s right. Probably.’   While Shimaura...

Documents from the classified papers leaked to Al-Jazeera in January give the clearest account yet of what really goes on in Middle East peace talks, including revealing off-the-record remarks made by Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, Mahmoud Abbas, and other key players   In January...

Extracts from two of Bell’s most compelling works of travel writing, Persian Pictures and Syria: The Desert and the Sown, as well as some of her most fascinating letters A woman far ahead of her time, Gertrude gained a first from Oxford at a time when very few subjects were even open to women....

Now a major motion picture, this is a story of obsession, loyalty, and control as one man with dark intentions charms his way into the lives of an innocent, unsuspecting family, based on the true exile of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele to South America   Patagonia, 1960. José is on the...