M R James (1862 - 1936) was a writer and British medieval scholar. His well-known classic ghost stories have a Victorian Christmas theme. Although James is best known for his ghost stories he produced many excellent scholarly works. He is also credited with cataloging libraries at Oxford and Cambridge. Stories included in this collection are The Residence at Whitminster, The Diary of Mr. Poynter, An Episode of Cathedral History, The Story of a Disappearance and An Appearance, and Two Doctors.