Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 30 include: . the writings of Alexander Pope . the histories of William Hickling Prescott . the poetry of Matthew Prior . the verse of Sextus Propertius . Provencal literature . the writings of Alexander Sergyeevitch Pushkin . the oratory of Quintilian . the work of Francois Rabelais . the histories of Alfred Rambaud . and much, much more."