Caesar: A Sketch

James Anthony FroudeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 938K words
Chapters: 94

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.Caesar: A Sketch by James Anthony FroudeAuthor: Froude, James Anthony, 1818-1894,Language: English, Class: DG: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Italy, Vatican City, Malta, Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

Froude was one of the leading British historical writers of the nineteenth century. This short Life of Caesar traces his career from his rise in politics to his assassination, with emphasis on the Gallic campaigns, the civil war, and the dictatorship. The author writes with eloquence and keeps the narrative brisk, often framing events through moral and character judgments and portraying Caesar as a figure both brilliant and dangerous, which gives the book a strong dramatic quality. Its strength is that it lets general readers quickly grasp the main lines of Caesar's life and see how a Victorian historian used the past to speak to his own age; its limits are that some judgments carry the prejudices of the period, and the selection of sources does not always meet modern scholarly standards. It suits beginners in Caesar studies, casual readers of classical history, and readers of English historical prose who wish to study the style. Reading it alongside a more modern biography is recommended, so that one keeps the narrative charm while correcting its tendentious arguments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers new to Roman history who want a quick introduction to Caesar
Those who prefer narrative history to dry antiquarianism
Readers of English historical prose studying nineteenth-century style
Students who need a Caesar biography of moderate length

Not a good fit for

Specialist scholars who require the latest archaeology and scholarship
Readers allergic to moralizing character judgments
Those who want a systematic general history of Rome rather than a biography
Readers who struggle with English and need a modern annotated edition

Reading tips

Read a chronology of Caesar's life first, then go chapter by chapter, to see the author's choices more clearly.
Mark the author's judgments on character and compare them with later scholarship after finishing.
Read selections from Caesar's own Gallic War alongside it to see the difference between source and biographical narrative.
Use the book as a model of English historical prose, noting characteristic sentences for style study.

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.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Caesar?

Yes. It is short and smoothly narrated and helps readers build a basic framework for Caesar's life. But it is a nineteenth-century work, and some views and sources are now outdated; after this introduction, supplement it with modern scholarship to avoid a one-sided impression.

What should readers know about the author's stance?

Froude often explains history through character and moral judgment, admiring Caesar while also warning against him, and the prose carries Victorian values. Readers should treat these judgments as a style of historical writing rather than as settled conclusions, and keep their own judgment while reading.

Does “A Sketch” mean the content is thin?

“A Sketch” signals an outline biography rather than a detailed, heavily documented tome. It covers Caesar's main phases but does not analyze every battle or institution in detail. It suits a quick read, not sole reliance for deep research.

Does this edition include notes or an introduction?

This is a public-domain English electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, consisting mainly of the original text, usually without modern editorial notes or introduction. Readers must supply background knowledge themselves and look up place names and personal names in reference works.

Comments

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About the author

James Anthony Froude Author · British · 1818–1894

James Anthony Froude (1818–1894) was a British historian, biographer and novelist, born in Dartington, Devon. Influenced in his early years by the Oxford Movement, he later broke with Newman. He is best known for his twelve-volume History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, a work that fundamentally redirected the study of Tudor history. His other writings include a Life of Carlyle, a short life of Caesar, English Seamen in the Sixteenth Century and Short Studies on Great Subjects, spanning history, biography and the essay, and marked by a vivid and argumentative style. In 1892 he became Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, and he died in 1894. Eleven of his works are held in this collection.