The First Catalogue from Yesterday's Muse Books

Item 142 is one of those pieces of utopian fiction: The Dream of Debs. The author is Jack London, the popular early 20^th century American novelist. Eugene Victor Debs was, like London, a workers' advocate, socialist, and political agitator. However, while London turned more to writing fiction, Debs focused on political and union activities. Debs was a frequent presidential candidate, running five times between 1900 and 1920, and while he never came close to victory, he garnered millions of votes, and his influence on the labor movement far exceeded his electoral success. This book describes a utopian socialist society based on the views expressed by Debs. $125.

As the title promises, this catalogue does have several works relating to castles. Here is one that describes one of the most famous of all: The History of Nottingham Castle, from the Danish Invasion to its Destruction by Rioters in 1831, by John Hicklin, published in 1836. Nottingham Castle, familiar to all from Robin Hood, has been around a very long time. It was built shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066 on orders of William the Conqueror. It was a wooden structure, more fortress than castle. By the next century, however, Henry II had it rebuilt of stone. Over the centuries, it would serve both as fortress and royal residence, and would be the subject of various battles between royalty jockeying for power. As time went on, Nottingham Castle, like most structures, would age and deteriorate. Finally, it would be mostly demolished during the English Civil War. That would not be its end. After the Restoration, it was rebuilt even grander than before. After this reconstruction was completed in 1678, it would again begin a slow slide, and in 1831, it was again destroyed, this time in rioting by the poor angered by the then owner's opposition to parliamentary reform. That is where this book leaves off, though the castle has since been resurrected from its ruins to be a historic museum today. Item 42. $475.