Washington Irving (1783-1859) was the first American literary artist to earn his living solely through his writings and the first to enjoy international acclaim. In addition to his long public service as a diplomat, Irving's collected works fill forty volumes that encompass essays, history, travel writings and multi-volume biographies of Columbus and Washington. But it is Irving's mastery of suspense, characterization, tempo and irony that transforms his fiction into virtuoso performances, earning him his reputation as the Father of the American Short Story. Charles Neider has gathered all 16 of Irving's tales, originally scattered throughout his many collections of non-fiction essays and sketches, into one volume. Together, they reveal his wide range: besides the expected classics such as "Rip Van Winkle", "The Spectre Bridegroom", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Devil and Tom Walker", his fiction embraces realistic tales, ghost stories, parodies, legends, fables and satires.