Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.This mid-century decade reveals a journey traversing continents and genres as authors explore and revel in the tumultuous times of social upheaval as nations are divided by Civil War or expand with the brute force of Imperial Dreams. Our writers also explore other genres including the absurd and ghostly with consummate ease.01 - Top Ten - The 1860's - An Introduction02 - The Signalman by Charles Dickens03 - The Crocodile. An Extraordinary Incident - Part 1 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky04 - The Crocodile. An Extraordinary Incident - Part 2 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky05 - The Romance of Certain Old Clothes by Henry James06 - Malachi's Cove by Anthony Trollope07 - The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte08 - The Brothers by Louisa May Alcott09 - The Father by Bjornstjerne Bjornson10 - The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calveras Country by Mark Twain11 - The Phantom Coach by Amelia Edwards12 - The Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins