Capitals

Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1860-1Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 35K words
Chapters: 4

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.Capitals by Frederick W. HamiltonAuthor: Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1860-1940,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Jan 15, 2007

Editor's review

Capitals is a short English booklet by Frederick W. Hamilton on the conventions for using capital letters in Western writing. Classified under bibliography and library science, it was released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Hamilton, long engaged with printing and typesetting practice, keeps the book brief and clearly organized, setting out rules for capitals in English writing and typesetting; it is a practical reference rather than a literary work. Its value lies in turning scattered orthographic habits into entries that can be consulted, making it handy for anyone who handles English manuscripts, typesetting or proofreading. Because it dates from an earlier period, some rules reflect the printing conventions of its time and may not match certain present-day publishing styles; readers should treat it as a reference, not an absolute standard. It can be read alongside modern style manuals, taking what is useful. Overall, this is a short, tightly focused guide to English conventions, suited to desk reference rather than casual cover-to-cover reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Editors and writers who handle English manuscripts, proofreading or typesetting
Readers interested in Western orthography and printing conventions
English majors seeking to understand traditional capitalization rules
Researchers collecting public-domain material on typesetting and written norms

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for stories or literary works and plot-driven entertainment
Beginners with weak English who do not yet need to handle English writing conventions
Readers expecting full coverage of the latest modern English style standards

Reading tips

No need to read straight through; check the contents to find the rules you care about and consult as needed.
Read alongside a modern style manual and note where the book differs from current usage.
Prepare a sample English text and practise editing it by the book's rules as you read to reinforce them.
If used for teaching, excerpt typical entries into short exercises for students to discuss.

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

What is this book about?

It discusses the conventions for using capital letters in English writing and typesetting. A short, clearly organized practical guide to written and typographic usage, it is classified under bibliography and library science and is meant for consultation rather than cover-to-cover reading; its content reflects the printing conventions of its time.

Can the rules in the book still be used directly today?

Many basic rules still apply today, but because the book dates from an earlier period, some entries may reflect printing conventions specific to its time and differ from certain present-day publishing styles. Treat it as a reference and use it alongside modern style manuals rather than as the sole standard.

Is this book suitable for reading from start to finish?

Not really. It is more an entry-style booklet of rules arranged by topic; the best use is targeted consultation when a specific question arises. For systematic study, browse the chapters in order and take notes, but there is no need to read every page.

Do I have to pay to get this book?

Project Gutenberg released it as a free public-domain ebook that can be legally obtained at no cost. It was first released in 2007, with a later 2019 version record, and readers can download and read it through the project's public channels without purchasing it.

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About the author

Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1860-1 Author

Frederick W. Hamilton (1860–1) was an author whose writing centered on the conventions of written English and on typography. Public information about him is limited, and his life, nationality, and education cannot be reliably established; eight of his works are held in the collection. Judging from the surviving titles, he focused on the most basic and often overlooked details of writing and printing: the use of capitals, word study and English grammar, the division of words, punctuation, the uses of italic, abbreviations and signs, and compound words, along with Books Before Typography, a work touching on the prehistory of the book. These are for the most part concise, practical handbooks, clearly organized and concrete in their examples, addressed to students, printers, and general readers, and dealing with the fundamentals of English usage and typographic practice. Their subjects are small, yet they form part of the standardization of written language and the making of books, and they can still serve as references for early conventions of English usage and printing practice.