The Yellow Streak

George Valentine WilliamsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.2
Word count
380K words
Chapters
39

Tags

English Originals Mystery and Suspense Suspense ThrillerBritish MysteryIdentity MysteryUrban MysteryComplex HumanityPsychological TacticsCriminal PsychologyDetective Fiction

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. The Yellow Streak by Valentine Williams. Author: Williams, Valentine, 1883-1946. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Feb 1, 2006

Editor's review

The Yellow Streak is a public-domain eBook by the British author Valentine Williams, published by Project Gutenberg. Williams is known for his spy and detective novels set between the two World Wars, and his work is distinguished by suspenseful plotting and exotic atmosphere; both the title and the genre of this book suggest a typical thriller adventure. The value of the Gutenberg edition lies in preserving, as a free electronic text, an early twentieth-century popular novel in its original form, making it suitable for studying the evolution of popular literary genres or for casual reading. Note that this entry provides no plot summary, so readers should not assume a particular storyline; public-domain eBooks also usually lack modern introductions and notes, and first-time readers may find the language and background of the period unfamiliar. Read it as a specimen of its era, attending to narrative pace and characterisation rather than seeking literary depth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read a few pages first to get a feel for the language style; if there are many unfamiliar words, read for plot first and return to details later.
  2. Treat it as genre fiction for extensive reading, paying attention to how suspense is built and how chapters end on hooks.
  3. After reading, look up common motifs in British thrillers between the two World Wars to deepen your understanding.
  4. If using it for English study, note colloquial expressions in dialogue and practise retelling them.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39

FAQ

What is this book about? The available information includes only the title, author, and publication details, with no plot summary, so the specific story cannot be determined. Judging from the author Valentine Williams's background, the book belongs to the suspense-thriller genre he was known for; read the text itself to find out more.
Who was Valentine Williams? According to general public-domain knowledge, Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was a British author known for spy and detective fiction, much of it published in the first half of the twentieth century. For biographical details, consult reliable reference works; this entry provides no further information.
Does this edition include notes or an introduction? Project Gutenberg public-domain eBooks generally provide only the text, and this entry mentions no notes or introduction. Readers who need background can consult material on the author's era and the genre, or compare with an annotated print edition.
Can I read it if my English is only average? The book is in early twentieth-century English, with sentence structures and vocabulary somewhat older than contemporary fiction, but genre fiction is usually plot-driven and quite readable. Try the first chapter; if it proves difficult, use a dictionary or bridge with graded readers.

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About the author

George Valentine Williams Author · British · 1883–1946

George Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was a British journalist and writer of spy thrillers, born in London in 1883 and died in New York in 1946. He worked as a war correspondent for Reuters and the Daily Mail, was awarded the Military Cross in the First World War, and served in intelligence during the Second World War. Williams wrote about thirty novels, including Okewood of the Secret Service, The Man with the Clubfoot, and The Yellow Streak, and is best known for his series featuring the secret agent Okewood and the villain "Clubfoot." His works draw heavily on his wartime and intelligence experience, with tight plotting and sustained suspense that reflect their era. Public information is limited, but it is clear that his background as a journalist and intelligence officer profoundly shaped the subject matter and style of his spy fiction.