The Oxford book of historical stories Book

Great collection, I have read most of them at the time of writing this. I have found diamonds among some writers I had consumed to the mine of beneath my notice.

I love what Byatt says in her introduction:

"I found, reading in bulk, that I was developing a dislike for both the 'well-made tale' and the fleeting 'impression'. Manuals on how to write short stories, and much criticism, stress unity of form, stress that only one thing should happen, that an episode or incident should be developed, or an emotion caught, with no space for digression, or change of direction or tone.... Many of the stories in this collection break all the rules of unity of tone and narrative. They appear to be one kind of story and mutate into another. They make unexpected twists then twist again. They pack together comedy and tragedy, farce and delicacy, elegance and the grotesque. The workmanlike English story is bland....even-toned and neatly constructed. The great English story is shocking - even the sparest and driest - and hard to categorise."