Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Chicago, May 21, 1924. Nathan Leopold Jr., age eighteen, and Robert Loeb, age nineteen, killed fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks. They were quickly apprehended when Leopold's glasses were found near the corpse. Clarence Darrow defended them, pleading eloquently against capital punishment. Why would wealthy young men murder an innocent boy? What demons lurked behind Loeb's flashing good looks? Behind Leopold's saturnine intellect? This exquisite Off-Broadway hit explores the complex r

Drama

John Logan

Characters: 5 male, 2 female

Various sets.

This compelling drama by the author of Never the Sinner begins just moments before the 1936 execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the German immigrant who was convicted of murdering the Lindbergh's baby. With prison guards doubling as other characters in flashback, Hauptmann tells his gripping story.

"It is one of rising anti German sentiment in America, of rich versus poor, of the state versus the individual." Hollywood Reporter.

"A spellbinding and surprisingly fresh ... engrossing drama, intelligently told." Variety.

"In telling one man's story, it succeeds in encompassing everything that is essential about America today." Newsday.

Sam Mendes directs this James Bond adventure. Daniel Craig stars as Bond, whose loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her, and Bond's own doubts about his life and livelihood start to creep in. As MI6 comes under attack and Bond is sent to Shanghai to investigate, he must keep his focus on tracking down and destroying the threat - no matter how high the personal cost. Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem and Albert Finney co-star. Adele and Paul Epworth won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for their song 'Skyfall' and the film also received BAFTAs for Outstanding British Film and Original Film Music (Thomas Newman).

Drawing its inspiration from Anthony Mann's 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' (1964) and Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus' (1960), Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning take on the Roman epic lavishes the genre with the very latest in computer-generated effects technology. After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays the Emperor's beloved General Maximus (Russell Crowe) and takes the throne for himself. Maximus is sold as a slave and then trained as a gladiator, keeping himself strong with thoughts of revenge. Eventually he is taken to the Colosseum, where he prepares to fight in a contest presided over by the corrupt Commodus. Will he suffer the ultimate humiliation and die for the entertainment of his enemy or will he survive the rigors of the arena and find a way of exacting his revenge?

Clint Eastwood directs this feature film adaptation of the multi award-winning Broadway musical about 1960s pop group The Four Seasons. John Lloyd Young reprises his stage role as Frankie Valli, who is discovered by guitarist Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza), and along with bass player Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) and keyboardist/songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Gergen) forms The Four Seasons. They sign a contract with producer Bob Crewe (Mike Doyle) and gradually find success but relationships within the band become strained over time. Narrated by each group member in turn, the story follows their rise to fame and eventual break-up, as well as the personal troubles they face along the way. The film features songs such as 'Rag Doll', 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' and 'Who Loves You'.

"Smart and scintillating. Red deftly conjures what most plays about artists don't: The exhilaration of the act." The New Yorker Under the watchful gaze of his young assistant and the threatening presence of a new generation of artists, Mark Rothko takes on his greatest challenge yet: to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting. A moving and compelling account of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century whose struggle to accept his growing riches and praise became his ultimate undoing. Nominated for 7 Olivier Awards (2009) and winner of 6 Tony Awards (2010) including Best New Play, Red is published in Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series, featuring a new introduction by Michael Grandage.

Martin Scorsese makes his first foray into children's cinema with this semi-fantastical drama based on a book by Brian Selznick. Asa Butterfield stars as Hugo, an orphan who lives in the hidden nooks of a train station in 1920s Paris. With the help of his friend, Isabelle (Chloë Moretz), he sets out to solve a mystery left behind by his late father (Jude Law): a curious puzzle involving a heart-shaped key, a cranky toy shop owner (Ben Kingsley) and a broken automaton. Along the way, the tangled lives of the staff and passengers at the station provide numerous colourful detours, and Scorsese pays homage to early pioneers of cinema including the Lumiere brothers and Georges Méliès. The film was nominated for eleven Oscars and won five awards including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

It's 1970 and the 1967 Summer of Love has finally arrived in a small Midwestern town. A pair of hip outsiders open a record store in the midst of redneck Amerika, attracting every hipster misfit and hippie wannabe in the area.

PG and his sidekick Willard are doing pretty well selling marijuana and magic mushrooms. A little too well. Between the mob and the deputy sheriff, they may be in deeper trouble than they bargained for.