Customer Reviews (1)

Two Tales of Civil War Soldiers with a Ghostly Twist
These two short stories by Ambrose Bierce present two agonizingly personal conflicts of soldiers confronted with death while engaged in the throes of the American Civil War.In "A Horesman in the Sky" a young Virginian who decides to fight for the North finds himself unavoidably having to shoot his father, who is fighting for the South.In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" a Confederate sympathizer condemned to die by hanging stands at the edge of a bridge with the noose around his neck.As his executioner gives the signal and his body swings out over the river, the rope frays and breaks.In a dreamlike state he struggles to free himself in the raging water, amidst gunfire from the soldiers above.Miraculously he is carried downstream, makes it to shore, and travels on foot until, near exhaustion, he arrives home, greeted by his ecstatic wife and child.But there the illusion ends--the rope has not broken and the soldier's body swings motionlessly in the breeze above the river, under the dispassionate gaze of the Union soldiers.In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Ambrose Pierce plays with our perception of time and reality, eerily forshadowing the stream-of-consciousness writers of the 20th century.Like them, he presents a complex and troubling view of the ravages of war, a bleak landscape where that which is held most dear is shattered. ... Read more

Product Description
Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire boast some of the most varied habitats in Britain from the mountains of the Lake District to the green plains of Cheshire. The region also has four bird-rich estuaries which are of international importance. The authors have divided this guide into eight regions covering 66 sites. As with other volumes in this series, each site is described under the headings of habitat, access, timing and calendar giving the visitor all the information required to make the most of each trip. Jonathan Guest is a former bird recorder and editor of the "Cheshire Bird Report" and is joint editor of "A Breeding Atlas of Cheshire and Wirral". Malcolm Hutcheson also wrote "Cumbrian Birds". ... Read more

Product Description
This guide is a general introduction to the climate and wildlife of Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire, followed by a systematic list of the many birdwatching localities, with a map for each site and a calendar summarizing the arrival and departure dates of migrants. Essential information is given on habitat, species, timing and access for each site, aiming to provide a comprehensive survey of each locality. ... Read more