Greece

M‘Clymont, J. A. (James Alexander), 1848-1927Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 395K words
Chapters: 40

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.Greece by J. A. M'ClymontAuthor: M'Clymont, J. A. (James Alexander), 1848-1927,Language: English, Class: DF: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Greece, Release Date: Nov 29, 2014

Editor's review

This is a public-domain e-book edition of a work on Greece by the Scottish scholar J. A. M'Clymont, prepared and released by Project Gutenberg. The original was written in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century and bears a clear stamp of classical scholarship and travel-guide writing; its content centers on Greece's historical development, geography, and cultural remains, and the language is English. Its value lies not in cutting-edge research but in offering a slice of one era's perspective: readers can observe how English-language scholarship introduced Greece to general readers a century ago, along with the intellectual interests and narrative tone of the time. The prose is generally plain and readable, making it suitable as an introductory English work on Greece and as a sample for studying the circulation of public-domain books and early e-book projects. Read it as a historical text rather than a modern travel guide, and note the limitations of perspective imposed by its date.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Greek history and classical culture who want an introductory English work
Scholars and students studying late-nineteenth-century English travel writing and popular classical works
Digital humanities enthusiasts interested in public-domain e-books and the Project Gutenberg project
Advanced English learners who want to practice reading with shorter English materials

Not a good fit for

Travelers who need the latest Greek travel information, transport, and accommodation details
Researchers seeking rigorous contemporary scholarship and references
Chinese readers who want a Chinese translation or a popular illustrated book

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and chapter introductions first to grasp the book's geographical or historical framework, then proceed chapter by chapter.
Note the biases and outdated information of the period as you read and compare them with contemporary sources.
Consult maps or a classical-era chronology alongside the text to reduce the difficulty of the English narrative.
If English is difficult, read first for the general sense, then return to close-read chapters or passages of interest.

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 in Chinese?

No. The original is in English, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book; only the English text is provided, with no Chinese translation, so Chinese readers need some English reading ability.

Is the content suitable as a travel guide to Greece?

Not really. The book was written early and covers the history and local descriptions that interested readers of its time; it contains no modern transport, accommodation, or ticket information and would be clearly outdated for travel planning.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

No specialized background is required, but familiarity with Greece's broad historical periods and geographical outline will significantly ease reading; when classical names of people and places are unfamiliar, consult reference works as you read.

Why is this book worth reading?

Its value lies in presenting how the English-speaking world introduced Greece more than a century ago, in both perspective and style; it can serve as an introductory work and as a sample for observing public-domain books and the history of knowledge dissemination, rather than as a contemporary authoritative reference.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

M‘Clymont, J. A. (James Alexander), 1848-1927 Author · British · 1848–1927

James Alexander M‘Clymont (1848–1927) was a Scottish minister and missionary writer from Britain. Public information about his life and education is limited; what can be confirmed is that he combined the roles of clergyman and author, with a lasting interest in the geography and culture of mission regions. One of his works is held in this collection, namely Greece, which shows that his writing was not confined to the South Pacific but also addressed European history and culture. He also wrote a book on New Guinea, indicating that his writing generally drew on observations and experiences in areas reached by missionary activity, in a documentary and narrative style aimed at conveying knowledge of distant places to general readers. His works offer a reference point for later readers seeking to understand the overseas observations of British missionaries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.