Somerset Maugham is one of the world's great story tellers. You turn the pages and enter a magical world of fabulous characters. You feel as if you are curled up listening to the delicious, risqué, tales of an old, dear and rather wicked friend. You are transported to the very place, the villa, the street, the bar, the smells and tastes are almost tangible. The ten stories in this collection are 'The Letter', 'The Verger', 'The Vessel of Wrath', 'The Book-Bag', 'The Facts of Life', 'Lord Mountdrago', 'The Colonel's Lady', 'The Treasure', 'Rain' and 'P&O'.

With an Afterword by Ned Halley.