The Floating Press: 2252 books

In an era where "knowledge workers" with often-nebulous skill sets have come to make up a significant portion of the workforce, it can be refreshing to read about the more clearly defined trades of past eras. This engaging collection of brief biographies from Canadian author Grant Allen explores a number...

In Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes' stories, the titular detective is described in passing as a skilled amateur boxer. In the novel Rodney Stone, however, Conan Doyle dives much deeper into the world of pugilism, combining a satisfying mystery plot with the tale of an up-and-coming young boxer who rubs shoulders with many of England's most renowned nineteenth-century athletes and personages.

In 1856 the Reverend Edmund Donald Carr was overtaken by a blizzard on his way to an evening service. He battled the elements for 22 hours with nothing by his bible and his dead horse, whose body sheltered him while he slept. Snow blind and half dead, Carr survived and wrote his experience in a first person narrative, A Night in the Snow.

Brace yourself for nearly unbearable suspense in this classic horror tale from British author W.W. Jacobs. Virtually everyone has fantasized about what it would be like to be granted three wishes by a magical being. But what if the cost of having your dreams come true was a horrible toll you never expected? This iconic short story is a must-read for fans of the horror genre.

This 1865 volume offers a surprisingly sympathetic view of witchcraft, tracing its roots through several thousand years and pointing out similarities and parallels with the major world religions. Though dense and scholarly at times, The Superstitions of Witchcraft is a rewarding read for those with an interest in the history of the practice.

Celebrated as one of the masters of historical fiction, Alexandre Dumas, pere wrote such masterworks as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. His series Celebrated Crimes delved into eight historical capers, transgressions, and scandals. This life of Joan of Naples, the 14th century European...

Whether you're a true believer, a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, a student of world religions, or somewhere in between, your understanding and appreciation of Christian belief and theology will deepen with a reading of The Teaching of Jesus. The text focuses on Christ's words and deeds as recounted in the...

Step back into the romance and primal conflict of the medieval period with this collection of fairy tales and folklore from the era. Equal parts charmingly quaint and bracingly brutal, this carefully curated volume is sure to engage and enthrall readers who are curious about the myth and folklore of the Middle Ages.

James Gibbons was a popular, inclusive figure in the American Catholic Church, rising through the ranks as a bishop, archbishop, and cardinal over the course of his service. In the abidingly popular volume The Faith of Our Fathers, Gibbons sets forth the chief tenets, beliefs, doctrines, and practices of Catholicism in a clear and straightforward manner.

Life is a Dream is a play about free will and fate. A king imprisons his son who, it is prophesied, will destroy the kingdom. The people believe the son to be dead, but when he is a grown man the king brings him before the public and asks them to chose his fate. The play was written in 1635 and is the most famous work by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca.

This detailed analysis of one of the most brutal periods of religious persecution ever recorded is a must-read for history buffs of all stripes. Author Henry Charles Lea lends detail and dimension to the historical record, providing a turn-by-turn recounting of events along with deeper insight into the motives and psychology of the persecutors and persecuted.

Whether you're looking for a quick pick-me-up after a lousy day or something pleasant to pass the time while you're waiting in line, the eclectic collection The Funny Bone is just the ticket. Packed with poems, one-liners, quotes, and silly observations, this compendium of classic humor is sure to put a smile on your face.

Get to know the theologian and religious thinker whose radical reinvention of the Christian faith sparked the Protestant Reformation. In A Treatise on Good Works, Martin Luther expounds on his contention that although Christlike behavior is important, believers are redeemed ultimately through God's grace....

A journalist with insatiable wanderlust, Lewis R. Freeman spent decades traveling the globe as a war correspondent and as a special embed with the U.S. Navy Fleet. This collection of nautical tales includes some events that Freeman witnessed firsthand and some yarns recounted to him by sailors during his travels.