Books published by Cosimo Classics

Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name "Harvard Classics," this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature, philosophy, history, and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926), Harvard University's longest-serving president. Also known as "Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf," it represented Eliot's belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf.Volume XVI features a selection of 42 folktales from the collection of Persian, Indian, and Arabic stories-some dating as far back as the ninth century AD-sometimes known as The Arabian Nights. It represents one of the earliest examples of a framing story, as young Shahrazad, under threat of execution by the King, postpones her death by regaling him with these wildly diverting stories over the course of 1,001 nights. The stories themselves have profoundly influenced our notions of popular entertainment with their early examples of fantasy, adventure, mystery, and even science fiction.

OTTO EDUARD LEOPOLD VON BISMARCK (18151898) was born into a family that had belonged to the nobility from the 14th century. He studied law at the Universities of Gttingen and Berlin, and later served as prime minister of Prussia, from 1862 to 1873, and as Germanys first chancellor, from 1871 to 1890. In this two-volume set, Otto von Bismarck gives a full account of his life, from his formative years through to his resignation from the office of chancellor. Bismarck spent many years editing and revising the story of his life before arriving at this final product. He explains how the idea of a unified Germany took hold and manifested in his diplomatic work. Volume II covers the formation of the unified state and Bismarcks attempts to remove Catholicism from Germany and ends with the rule of Emperor Frederick III. History buffs will love this firsthand account from one of the most influential figures in European history.

Englishman OLIVER HEAVISIDE (1850-1925) left school at 16 to teach himself electrical engineering, eventually becoming a renowned mathematician and one of the world's premiere authorities on electromagnetic theory and its applications for communication, including the telegraph and telephone.Here in three volumes are his collected writings on electromagnetic theory-Volume III was first published in 1912. This is a catalog of the bulk of his postulations, theorems, proofs, and common problems (and solutions) in electromagnetism, many of which had been published in article form.Part scientific history-including references to some contemporary criticisms, long since shown to be poorly based, of Heaviside's scholarship-and part guide to understanding a complex applied science, this work shows both the genius and the eccentricity of a man whose work includes precursory theories to Einstein, and revolutionary principles that today are the commonly assumed truths in the field of electrical engineering.

Englishman OLIVER HEAVISIDE (1850-1925) left school at 16 to teach himself electrical engineering, eventually becoming a renowned mathematician and one of the world's premiere authorities on electromagnetic theory and its applications for communication, including the telegraph and telephone.Here in three volumes are his collected writings on electromagnetic theory-Volume II was first published in 1899. This is a catalog of the bulk of his postulations, theorems, proofs, and common problems (and solutions) in electromagnetism, many of which had been published in article form.Part scientific history-including references to some contemporary criticisms, long since shown to be poorly based, of Heaviside's scholarship-and part guide to understanding a complex applied science, this work shows both the genius and the eccentricity of a man whose work includes precursory theories to Einstein, and revolutionary principles that today are the commonly assumed truths in the field of electrical engineering.