For the Cause

Weyman, Stanley John, 1855-1928Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 240K words
Chapters: 25

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.For the Cause by Stanley John WeymanAuthor: Weyman, Stanley John, 1855-1928,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 17, 2012

Editor's review

This book is a work by the British popular historical novelist Stanley Weyman (1855–1928), released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Weyman is known for writing about France's religious wars and court intrigues; he excelled at embedding fictional characters in real historical upheavals, with plots driven by concealed identities, political choices, and conflicts of personal loyalty, brisk pacing, and dialogue that propels the story. This book follows the same pattern and suits readers looking for an adventure-style historical novel as an introduction or entertainment. Note that such novels treat history in service of drama, with considerable literary embellishment of characters and events; it should not be read as historical fact. The original is in English and dates from an early period, so its narrative habits differ from today's genre fiction and the opening may unfold somewhat slowly—readers should give the first few chapters a little patience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Genre readers who enjoy historical adventure and intrigue fiction
Readers interested in stories set against the backdrop of Europe's religious wars
Learners who want to build stamina for long-form reading through English novels

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strict historical accuracy and source annotations
Readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced suspense and have limited patience for classical narration

Reading tips

Read a chapter or two first to get a feel for the narrative pace, then decide whether to read closely or skim
Use sticky notes to track characters' factions and relationships as you read to avoid confusion
After finishing, look up the general background of the historical period the story involves

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

Do I need prior knowledge of the relevant history to read this book?

No. The novel builds its plot on characters' situations and conflicts, and the basic historical background emerges naturally in the narrative. A rough prior sense of the period makes it easier to tell which parts are the historical framework and which are literary invention; you can read it smoothly without any background, though your understanding of some political motives will be shallower.

Is this novel suitable as history-learning material?

It is not suitable as learning material. Weyman's historical novels prioritize drama and readability; characters, dialogue, and some events are literary embellishments, and period details may yield to the narrative. It can spark interest in a historical period, but specific facts should be checked against modern historical scholarship—do not cite plot points from the novel as historical fact.

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About the author

Weyman, Stanley John, 1855-1928 Author

Stanley John Weyman (1855–1928) was a British writer of historical novels, known for vivid scenes and tightly plotted adventure romances. Thirty of his works are held in this collection, mostly set in sixteenth- to eighteenth-century France and England and often involving religious wars, court intrigue and chivalric adventure. His representative novel A Gentleman of France, cast as the memoirs of Gaston de Bonne, is joined by Under the Red Robe, Shrewsbury, The Wild Geese and For the Cause, which likewise follow characters caught in historical upheaval. His fiction is notable for atmosphere and narrative pace; it found readers in its day and influenced later English historical adventure fiction. Because public information is limited, his early life and education are not discussed here.