A Dream

Igor Sikorsky, the Russian-American pioneer of aviation, designed the R-4, the first mass-produced helicopter in use by the U.S. Armed Forces, among other achievements. In this chapter of his autobiography The Story of the Winged-S, transcribed by me in Centennial Gregg, he shows how some dreams can indeed come true. Attachment: a-dream.pdf

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The Rescue of the Sheep

Exmoor, in the southwest of England, has seen its share of harsh winters; one of the worst recorded was that of 1683-4. It was described by English writer Richard D. Blackmore, who gave it a whole chapter in his novel Lorna Doone. In those days there were no hedges to contain the snow. The protagonist…

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Plain Living

The Conduct of Life is a series of essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson in which he addresses how should a person live. In this excerpt from his essay Culture he discusses simple living. I transcribed it for the blog in Centennial Gregg. Attachment: plain-living.pdf

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On Autumn

In his book Sermons, Chiefly on Particular Occasions Vol. 1,  Scottish clergyman Archibald Alison explains why this season is important from a spiritual point of view. An extract of the sermon is presented here, transcribed by me in Centennial Gregg. Attachment: on-autumn.pdf

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A Brief History of Beer

The official Oktoberfest is celebrated in Munich between September and October, however, beer drinking happens every day around the world. This essay in Centennial Gregg transcribed by me tells some of the history of this popular drink. Attachment: a-brief-history-of-beer.pdf

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Chivalry

What are the origins of chivalry? Why was it important and what became of it? Hendrik van Loon explains it in this extract from The Story of Mankind, and transcribed by me in Centennial Gregg. Attachment: chivalry.pdf

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Shakespeare’s Poetry

Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, a Scottish judge and literary critic, wrote this assessment of Shakespeare’s poetry. I transcribed it for the blog in Centennial Gregg. Attachment: shakespeares-poetry.pdf

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