Born in Burma in 1870, Hector Hugh Munro published his acclaimed short stories, plays, and novels under the pen name of Saki. A satirist in the vein of Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling, he influenced such authors as A. A. Milne, Nöel Coward, and P. G. Wodehouse. Munro served with the British army during World War I and died in battle in 1916.

Renowned for his witty dialogue and macabre humor, Saki skewered the pretensions and follies of the Edwardian age. This 1911 collection of well-plotted, acerbic short stories showcases his mastery of comic repartee. The tales recount the escapades of an irreverent socialite, Clovis Sangrail?a forerunner to the aristocratic Bertie Wooster of Jeeves fame.
Saki's satires remain remarkably contemporary, offering paradoxical combinations of good-natured irony and cheerful cruelty. This compact anthology features some of his most popular stories, including "Sredni Vashtar," "Tobermory," "Esmé," and "Mrs. Packletide's Tiger." One of the author's latter-day disciples, A. A. Milne, offers an informative Introduction to this delightful taste of vintage Saki.