The long nights and cold winter air have inspired authors since the early days of literature. While the climate invites reclusion and introspection, there is also the opportunity to enjoy winter sports. See how winter has inspired the authors differently in this seven great short stories:This book contains:- The Race for Number One by Jack London.- An Alpine Pass on Ski by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.- Davos in Winter by Robert Louis Stevenson.- The First Snowfall by Guy de Maupassant.- The Snow Image: A Childish Miracle by Nathaniel Hawthorne.- The Snow Man by O. Henry.- A Winter Round-Up by Andy Adams.

John Griffith London was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist.Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes.Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist and travel writer, most noted for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses.Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a 19th century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, and as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives and destinies and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer.William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. O. Henry's stories frequently have surprise endings. In his day he was called the American answer to Guy de Maupassant. While both authors wrote plot twist endings, O. Henry's stories were considerably more playful, and are also known for their witty narration. Most of O. Henry's stories are set in his own time, the early 20th century. Many take place in New York City and deal for the most part with ordinary people: policemen, waitresses, etc.Andy Adams was an American writer of western fiction. He began writing at the age of 43, publishing his most successful book, The Log of a Cowboy, in 1903. His other works include A Texas Matchmaker (1904), The Outlet (1905), Cattle Brands (1906), Reed Anthony, Cowman: An Autobiography (1907), Wells Brothers (1911), and The Ranch on the Beaver (1927).