Washington Irving (1783?1859) was an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Contents: INTRODUCTION SPEECH: NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 18, 1842 by Charles Dickens THE SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT.
