<div>Chesterton&rsquo;s finest achievement&mdash;at once a gripping thriller and a powerful allegory In a colorful neighborhood of West London, two poets are at each other&rsquo;s throats. Gregory is an anarchist who longs to upend civilization with the power of his words, while Syme is a man of reason, convinced his opponent&rsquo;s beliefs are nothing but a fashionable pose. To prove his seriousness, Gregory introduces Syme to the central council of European radicals, where the newcomer is given the codename &ldquo;Thursday.&rdquo; Though none will admit it, every man in the council is a liar&mdash;and each is deadly in his own way. Gregory has no inkling that his new comrade Syme is an undercover detective, sent by Scotland Yard to destroy the council from within. But as the other men reveal their secrets in turn, it becomes clear that Thursday is not the enemy; it is the mysterious figure named Sunday whom they all should fear. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Man Who Was Thursday

<div>The delightful debut of G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s most famous literary creation In his day, Flambeau was a legend of the underworld. Even now, his old confederates remember with pride the Tyrolean Dairy scheme, in which he built a thriving milk business despite owning not a single cow. But today the master thief finally meets his match. Attempting to steal a priceless cross, Flambeau runs afoul of Father Brown, an ordinary-looking priest with amazing insight into the criminal mind. With grace, logic, and good humor, the stout little clergyman soon reforms one of England&rsquo;s most notorious villains. In thrilling tales such as &ldquo;The Blue Cross,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Secret Garden,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Hammer of God,&rdquo; G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s immortal priest-detective applies his extraordinary intuition to the most intricate of mysteries. No corner of the human soul is too dark for Father Brown, no villain too ingenious. The Innocence of Father Brown is a testament to the power of faith and the pleasure of a story well told. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Innocence of Father Brown

<div>Criminals beware&mdash;there is no eluding the extraordinary mind of Father Brown Dr. Orion Hood is one of the eminent thinkers of his day, a psychologist whose expert opinion on human nature is sometimes sought by the police. Usually, he is called on to solve only the most spectacular crimes&mdash;a nobleman murdered, a diplomat poisoned&mdash;but today a more ordinary problem presents itself. An amiable little priest named Father Brown asks Dr. Hood to help a young couple whose families do not want them to marry. Suspicions about the would-be groom abound&mdash;dynamite is thought to be his weapon of choice&mdash;but Father Brown hopes that Dr. Hood will be able to put the accusations to rest. In the end, however, it is the humble clergyman who picks through the towering evidence of guilt to ensure that love prevails. In this masterful collection of mysteries, including &ldquo;The Paradise of Thieves,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Mistake of the Machine,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Man in the Passage,&rdquo; Father Brown employs his amazing intuition, developed over years of listening to men confess their sins, to solve crimes large and small. One of the most beloved heroes in all of detective fiction, this unassuming parish priest is as dedicated to the cause of justice as he is to his faith. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Wisdom of Father Brown

<div>G. K. Chesterton meditates on the value of the Christian faith to society in this celebrated essay Inspired by a friend to examine his personal philosophy on religion, G. K. Chesterton walks readers through his conversion to Christianity, which was based on a rational consideration of fact. Orthodoxy considers the logical and scholarly arguments in favor of the Christian faith and presents an impassioned argument for the church as a positive, liberal organization. One of the strongest apologias ever written, it is a critical triumph from a renowned author, poet, journalist, and philosopher, whose own spiritual journey provides the foundation for this fascinating treatise on religious belief. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

Orthodoxy

<div>G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s masterful mystery features men who earn their livings in the most peculiar ways The Club of Queer Trades is an incredibly exclusive society that comes with a specific conceit for entry: Its members must have a talent that is extremely unusual and use that skill to earn a living. For judge Basil Grant, the club is also a mystery that he must solve. Basil first learns of the group when his brother tells him about an army major who believes that this strange band of men is plotting to kill him. To get to the bottom of the threats against the major, Basil must track down each member of the organization one enigma at a time. Along the way, he crosses paths with a real estate agent who specializes in tree houses, a business that creates great adventures for its clients, and many other strange entities. In The Club of Queer Trades, Chesterton has created a loving parody that is sure to delight any fan of Victorian mysteries. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Club of Queer Trades

<div>The classic British detective story that became the immortal Hitchcock film starring James Stewart&mdash;from the author of the Father Brown mysteries. Horne Fisher is a skilled detective who always finds his man, but every solution comes with a catch: Exposing the crime will make things worse. Fisher&rsquo;s greatest strength isn&rsquo;t his Holmesian ability to deduce, but his knowledge of the dirty secrets of the ruling class, how the rich and powerful manipulate the government and bend the law to their wills. In this collection, Fisher uses his special skill to get to the bottom of mysteries as diverse as the disappearance of a valuable coin, the framing of an Irish prince, and the death of his own uncle from a falling statue. The Man Who Knew Too Much is a shining example of author G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s prodigious wit and prescient observation. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

The Man Who Knew Too Much

<div>A rousing ballad based on the true story of legendary Saxon king Alfred the Great In the dark times before a unified England, warring tribes roved and sparred for territory across the British Isles. The Ballad of the White Horse records the deeds and military accomplishments of Alfred the Great as he defeats the invading Danes at the Battle of Ethandun. Published in 1911, this poem follows the battle&mdash;from the gathering of the chiefs to the last war cry&mdash;with a care to rhythm, sound, and language that makes it a magnificent work of art as well as a vital piece of English history. A significant influence on the structure of Tolkien&rsquo;s The Lord of the Rings, The Ballad of the White Horse transforms the thrilling exploits of a courageous leader into an inspirational Christian allegory. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Ballad of the White Horse

<div>An enduring collection of moral and social commentary from one of the twentieth century&rsquo;s most original thinkers This groundbreaking work epitomizes why G. K. Chesterton is considered one of the pithiest and most versatile philosophers of his era. An anthology of his early writings, What&rsquo;s Wrong with the World takes on such thorny subjects as public education, jingoism, feminism, imperialism, politics, and the modern family. Chesterton&rsquo;s humor and intellectual verve are on full display, making these incisive essays as applicable in their exploration of ethics and the human heart today as when they were penned over a hundred years ago. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

What's Wrong with the World

<div>The opening salvo in G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s war against vagueness, affectation, and group think in life and art Part literary criticism, part jeremiad, and part metaphysical inquiry, Heretics is G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s groundbreaking attempt to cull the values, belief systems, and moral peccadilloes of his day. The twenty articles and essays included in this seminal work shed a brilliant light on the most profound mysteries of human nature. From the works of H. G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, and Rudyard Kipling to &ldquo;The Fallacy of the Young Nation&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Mildness of the Yellow Press,&rdquo; Chesterton casts a critical eye on the prevailing attitudes of the early twentieth century. He is at the height of his lucidity and sardonic power in Heretics, formulating a highly influential worldview that he would continue to develop in the acclaimed companion volume, Orthodoxy. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

Heretics

<div>An entertaining collection drawn from G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s early years as a newspaper columnist This compilation of &ldquo;fleeting sketches,&rdquo; written by G. K. Chesterton while he was a columnist for the Daily News, contains the humor, foresight, and intellectual curiosity that quickly made the young writer a household name throughout London. A tribute to the playfulness of Chesterton&rsquo;s spirit, Tremendous Trifles contains such gems as &ldquo;An Accident,&rdquo; in which the author crashes an omnibus into a hansom cab, and &ldquo;The Advantages of Having One Leg,&rdquo; a charmingly thorough investigation of optimism and pessimism. Fans of Chesterton&rsquo;s most famous works&mdash;from the Father Brown Stories to Heretics and Orthodoxy&mdash;will delight in the cleverness and invigorating wit of Tremendous Trifles. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

Tremendous Trifles

<div>Part comedy, part adventure, part social commentary, this astonishing tale of tomorrow explores the essence of human nature Published in 1904, G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s debut novel is set eighty years in the future. Technology and social mores remain the same, but the England of 1984 boasts a government in which ineffectual kings are selected at random from an otherwise apathetic populace that has &ldquo;lost faith in revolutions.&rdquo; The political system hits a snag when Auberon Quin is selected as the next monarch. More joker than potentate, Quin amuses himself by installing a series of laws and bizarre customs that inflate civic pomp and circumstance to laughable proportions. These policies inevitably put Quin, a leader who does not believes in any of his dictums, on a collision course with his most earnest supporter: Adam Wayne, otherwise known as the Napoleon of Notting Hill. A favorite among scholars and critics, The Napoleon of Notting Hill showcases the eclectic wit and unorthodox intellect that established Chesterton as one of the twentieth century&rsquo;s most influential and far-reaching thinkers. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

The Napoleon of Notting Hill

<div>An enduring portrait of America&rsquo;s virtues and vices as seen by one of England&rsquo;s greatest thinkers After losing his brother in the Great War, a troubled and depressed G. K. Chesterton accepts an invitation to join a lecture tour that will take him across the United States for the first time. Part travelogue, part exploration of the American experiment, What I Saw in America begins with a man of letters trying to reconcile his faith with the atrocities and moral dilemmas of war and expands into an illuminating consideration of the limitations of capitalism, the concept of American exceptionalism, and the future of the democratic system. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

What I Saw in America

<div>G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s highly influential treatise on one of the most controversial topics of the early twentieth century When G. K. Chesterton first published Eugenics and Other Evils in 1922, he seemed to be the lone voice of reason against the fashionable concept of selectively breeding a population for &ldquo;desirable&rdquo; traits. Though later generations came to associate eugenics with the horrors of the Third Reich, worldwide support for the philosophy was at an all-time high when Chesterton penned this brave and prophetic work. His unique combination of somber analysis and coruscating wit produces an argument too persuasive to ignore. Eugenics and Other Evils showcases Chesterton at the height of his rhetorical powers. His discussion of capitalism, socialism, and the concerns that guide our moral decisions is as pertinent today as the day it was penned. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

Eugenics and Other Evils

<div>A unique and accessible history of England from one of the country&rsquo;s preeminent thinkers Published in 1917, A Short History of England is a &ldquo;popular book of history&rdquo; told through the layman&rsquo;s eyes. G. K. Chesterton takes the reader on brisk, casual strolls through the annals of Anglo-Saxon history by discussing key topics and periods, including &ldquo;The Defeat of the Barbarians,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Problem of the Plantagenets,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Nationality and the French Wars,&rdquo; in clear and insightful prose. A fascinating collection of short pieces that bring the past to stimulating life, A Short History of England is a testament to the unique qualities that, according to George Bernard Shaw, made Chesterton &ldquo;at once the most concise and the fullest historian this distressful country has yet found.&rdquo; This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

A Short History of England

<div>G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s hilarious defense . . . of just about anything In this hodgepodge of early musings, a young G. K. Chesterton operates under the conceit that many objects in the human purview&mdash;ranging from the humdrum and mundane to the outright ridiculous&mdash;could use the advocacy of a good apologist every once in a while. This lively book, filled with essays from Chesterton&rsquo;s days as a budding journalist for the Speaker, vindicates everything from skeletons to detective stories, from patriotism to penny dreadfuls. An ardent defender of the indefensible, Chesterton earns his reputation as the &ldquo;prince of paradox&rdquo; in The Defendant and reminds us why he is often regarded as one of the greatest moral thinkers of his age. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

The Defendant

<div>The thrilling allegorical novel from the author of The Man Who Was Thursday and the Father Brown Stories First serialized in the Commonwealth, G. K. Chesterton&rsquo;s fantastical third novel opens with a debate between Professor Lucifer and Brother Michael as they soar across the sky above London. Part farce, part theological exploration, The Ball and the Cross soon settles on the story of another pair of contraries. When differences of opinion lead an atheist and a devout Roman Catholic to plan a duel to the death, fate intervenes and propels the two men toward deeper understanding. Widely considered to be one of Chesterton&rsquo;s most accessible and substantive works, The Ball and the Cross was commended by Pope John Paul I for the profound truths it reveals. Readers for over a hundred years have marveled at the brilliance of this exhilarating tale about belief, nonbelief, and our collective search for the truth. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Ball and the Cross

<div>This audacious allegory transforms the old rule about judging a book by its cover into entertainment of the highest order A wind sprang high in the west, like a wave of unreasonable happiness, and tore eastward across England, trailing with it the frosty scent of forests and the cold intoxication of the sea. Seeking shelter from a storm of biblical proportions, a mysterious new tenant by the name of Innocent Smith arrives on the doorsteps of Beacon House. Eccentric, spry, and eager to make new friends, Innocent turns the culture of this ho-hum London boarding establishment upside down. But the fun and games come to an abrupt end when word arrives that the new lodger is wanted on charges of burglary, polygamy, desertion of a spouse, and murder. Only a jury of his peers can determine if Innocent is as guilty as he appears. Written in upbeat and lighthearted prose, this charming novel of life, salvation, and the human predicament captures G. K. Chesterton at his finest. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

Manalive

<div>A fascinating survey of Victorian literature from one of England&rsquo;s greatest minds Dishing out his signature brand of harsh wit, G. K. Chesterton casts a critical eye on the poets and novelists that defined the Victorian age in English literature. &ldquo;Her imagination was sometimes superhuman&mdash;always inhuman,&rdquo; he writes of Emily Bront&euml;. &ldquo;Wuthering Heights might have been written by an eagle.&rdquo; Ranging from sharp denunciation to genuine admiration, Chesterton critiques the works of Tennyson, Ruskin, Eliot, Byron, and Shelley, among many others. He explores the influence of religion on the world of art and expounds upon the gridlock he believes to be permeating England in the early twentieth century. Conversational in style but exacting in its commentary, The Victorian Age in Literature is an indispensable account of this influential era in literary history. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

The Victorian Age in Literature

<div>It&rsquo;s &ldquo;great fun&rdquo; when a baker&rsquo;s dozen of Golden Age authors collaborate on a whodunit&mdash;including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G. K. Chesterton (The Guardian). Originally published in 1931, The Floating Admiral is a classic literary collaboration by members of the Detection Club, in which each chapter is written by a different mystery author, with G. K. Chesterton adding a prologue after the novel was completed. Each writer was tasked with building on what the previous writer created, without ignoring or avoiding whatever plot points had come before. Although Anthony Berkeley wrote the definitive conclusion to the mystery in his final chapter, the writers all provided their own individual solutions, each in a sealed envelope, which appear in the appendix. In the words of Dorothy L. Sayers in her introduction, the spirit of the project was that of a &ldquo;detection game,&rdquo; for the amusement of the authors&mdash;and their readers. In the sleepy English seaside village of Whynmouth, an old sailor discovers a corpse floating serenely in a rowboat owned by the local vicar. The victim has been stabbed in the chest. It falls to Inspector Rudge to solve this most baffling mystery, in which not only the identity of the killer but the identity of the victim is called into question. The Floating Admiral includes contributions by Canon Victor L. Whitechurch, G. D. H. and Margaret Cole, Henry Wade, Agatha Christie, John Rhode, Milward Kennedy, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald A. Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Edgar Jepson, Clemence Dane, and Anthony Berkeley. &ldquo;I was . . . hugely entertained by the virtuoso displays of mental gymnastics, which kept me guessing all the way.&rdquo; &mdash;The Guardian </div>

G. K. Chesterton

Books By G. K. Chesterton (19 Books)