American history overflows with good yarns. The many cultures which emigrated to the USA in the 19th century provided a broad fertile experience on which the short story writer could draw. The authors contained in this collection were masters of the craft.

The stories in the order they appear are:

• 'Titbottoms Spectacles' by George William Curtis
• 'The First Piano in Camp' by Samuel Davis
• 'Mr Tolman' by Frank R. Stockton
• 'Mrs Bullfrog' by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• 'Against His Judgement' by Robert Grant
• 'A Desperate Adventure' by Max Adeler
• 'Occurence at Owl Creek' by Ambrose Bierce
• 'The Stout Gentleman' by Washington Irving
• 'Clothes 'by Gustav Kobbé
• 'Negative Gravity' by Frank R. Stockton