Books by N.P. Cooper

Cornwall, the land of sandy beaches, pretty fishing coves, historic fishing ports, tin mining, mansions and gardens, quaint thatched cottages, atmospheric moors, art galleries, writers and picturesque towns? All of that is true but there is so much more to Cornwall and its influence on the rest of Britain and many parts of the world is often forgotten or unknown but yet continues. The county has seen political intrigue; religious upheavals; financial scandals. It has produced political radicals, slaves and slave owners; artists, writers and musicians; renowned engineers, mineralogists and scientists and was the first to introduce compulsory education. Cornwall was the birthplace of the discoverers of chemical elements, the planet Neptune and solar power and has been hugely significant in radio, electrical telegraphy and television. Cornish people have been influential across the centuries, the world and an incredible number of disciplines.

Now surpassed in fame as a writer by his daughter's best friend, Daphne du Maurier,Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch ('Q') was the pre - eminent Cornish writer of Victorian &Edwardian literature and found of the school of English Literature at Cambridge and is of particular interest as many of his tales are based on factual events which have now passed from memory. Q wrote a huge number of apparently fictional tales but many were actually inspired by historical facts. This volume contains three tales involving adventure and romance relating escapades and an occasional lucky escape:- - 'Deadman's Rock' tells of the attempt by a Cornishman and, much later his son, to recover the family's fortunes involving trips to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and back to Cornwall and involves travel to foreign parts, romance, escapades and adventures. - 'The Hotwells Duel' is set in Regency Bath. - 'Rain of dollars' is set during the, Napoleonic, Peninsular Wars which inspired many of Q's adventure stories.

This volume commences with Q's ghostly 'Lady Mary's Tale' which is based on a traditional story of a headless carriage controlled by a headless driver careering across Dartmoor and accompanied by a wild dog. It appears that Q based his tale on Sabine Baring-Gould's recounting of Lady Mary's life (also included in this volume) but the facts are rather different to the Cornish and Devonian ghostly tale. Now surpassed in fame as a writer by his daughter's bestfriend, Daphne du Maurier, c Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch wasthe pre-eminent Cornish writer of Victorian and Edwardiantimes and founder of the Cambridge University school ofEnglish Literature. He is of particular interest since his fiction was very often based on factual events long passed from memory.