Most Popular Books by Washington Irving

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.Written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was first published in 1820.Along with Irving''s companion piece Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle.Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century.He is best known for his short stories Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820), both of which appear in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.His historical works include biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Muhammad and George Washington, as well as several histories of 15th-century Spain that deal with subjects such as Alhambra, Christopher Columbus and the Moors.

In 1809, New Yorkers were buzzing about a series of classified ads concerning the whereabouts of Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker. They were unaware that Washington Irving had invented the man entirely and placed the ads himself. Knickerbocker''s purported manuscript, A History of New York, was Irving''s own. Told from Knickerbocker''s point of view, A History of New York is a chronicle of New York''s fifty years under Dutch rule in the 1600s that plays fast and loose with the facts, to uproarious effect. The book propelled Irving to the heights of literary stardom. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1843.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a short story by American author Washington Irving.The Story was written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England, and is among the earliest examples of enduring popular American fiction. The story is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town (now historical Tarrytown, New York), in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. A place renowned for its ghosts and haunting atmosphere. The most infamous spectre in the Hollow is the Headless Horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper who lost his head during a battle of the American Revolutionary War. The tale’s protagonist, Ichabod Crane, is a lanky and extremely superstitious schoolmaster, who competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of wealthy farmer Baltus Van Tassel. The two vie for Katrina''s hand, with Brom playing a series of pranks on the jittery schoolmaster. The tension between the three is brought to a head on a placid autumn night, at the harvest party. He dances, partakes in the feast, and listens to ghostly legends told by the locals, but his true aim is to propose to Katrina. His intentions, however, are ill-fated. After departing the party, Ichabod rides home through the woods with a heavy heart. He passes several haunted spots, until he encounters a cloaked rider at an intersection in a putrid swamp. The teacher is horrified to discover that the rider’s head is not on his shoulders, but on his saddle. Ichabod rides for his life in a frantic race to the bridge, desperately goading his temperamental plow horse to gallop faster. To the pedagogue''s horror, the ghoul clambers over the bridge, rears his horse, and hurls his severed head into Ichabod''s terrified face. The next morning, Ichabod has mysteriously disappeared from town, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones…….

Beginning with the chilling preface, "Found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker." Washington Irving''s classic short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer. As Crane leaves a party, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the American Revolutionary War, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head."

Compiled during a three-month stay in Granada, Spain, Tales of the Alhambra assembles descriptions, myths, and narratives of historical events. After completing a literary project in Madrid, author Washington Irving traveled to Granada, Spain. Immediately taken by its beauty and extravagance, Irving requested a travel guide and began filling notebooks and journals with his observations and description of the magnificent setting. Beginning with an expedition through the Andalusian mountains on horseback, cherishing the grandeur of the nature, Irving took his time to enjoy and observe the landscape and culture of the country. After their horseback ride through the mountains, Irving and his guide stopped at an inn for a drink. During their stay, Irving witnessed artistic culture through music and dance, noting how the locals seemed to celebrate every-day occurrences, creating a happy environment. Upon entering the city, Irving requested permission from the governor to stay at the Alhambra palace. Originally built on the ruins of Roman buildings, the Alhambra was a small fortress built in 889 CE, and had been largely ignored and forgotten by the time Irving arrived in Granada. While staying in the Alhambra, Irving explored the abandoned palace and recollected the myths set within its walls, recording every detail of its architecture, story, and mystery. The Alhambra palace had been mostly forgotten, and left unmaintained until Washington Irving’s narrative and recollections revived interest. Upon its original publication in 1832, Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra piqued the curiosity of readers who were completely engrossed in Irving’s description of the previously abandoned fortress. With delicate prose and intricate detail, Tales of the Alhambra appeal to readers’ sense of adventure, and allows its audience to explore the wonders of Granada, Spain alongside Washington Irving. This edition of Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra features a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable, inviting contemporary audiences to divulge in the grandeur and beauty of a medieval fortress.

The classic book, The Headless Horseman by Washington Irving! There''s a reason why The Headless Horseman is one of the best books of all time. If you haven''t read this classic, then you''d better pick up a copy of The Headless Horseman by Washington Irving today!

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.. Written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was first published in 1820. Along with Irving''s companion piece "Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle

With his beloved Gothic tales, Washington Irving is said to have created the genre of the short story in America. Though Irving crafted many of the most memorable characters in fiction, from Rip Van Winkle to Ichabod Crane, his gifts were not confined to the short story alone. He was also a master of satire, essay, travelogue, and folktale, as evidenced in this classic collection.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "Every reader has a first book.... which, in early youth, first fascinates his imagination, and at once excites and satisfies the desires of his mind. To me, this first book was The Sketch Book of Washington Irving or the legend of sleepy hollow... The charm of The Sketch Book remains unbroken; the old fascination still lingers about it."