Marse Henry

Henry WattersonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 336K words
Chapters: 34

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.Marse Henry (Volume 1) by Henry WattersonAuthor: Watterson, Henry, 1840-1921,Language: English, Class: E660: History: America: Late nineteenth century (1865-1900), Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

This is the first volume of Marse Henry, the memoir of the American journalist Henry Watterson, released as a free public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Watterson was long active in the American press in the late nineteenth century, and his writing carries a distinct personal voice and the stamp of its era; his observations on Southern society, political figures, and journalism before and after the Civil War form a vivid primary source. As a public-domain eBook, it has no modern introduction or notes, so readers must supply the historical background themselves—though this also preserves the original texture of the text. It suits readers interested in nineteenth-century American history, press history, or the memoir genre as primary material to browse, and researchers seeking passages to cite. Reading it alongside works on the Civil War and Reconstruction is recommended; those who want more after this single volume can continue with the complete edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and scholars studying nineteenth-century American press history and political history
Readers who enjoy memoirs of historical figures and value primary documents
Those who need free public-domain English historical sources for translation or excerpt-translation practice
General readers interested in the social world of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic general history with modern annotations
Readers with limited English proficiency who are unaccustomed to nineteenth-century English style
Casual readers looking for tightly plotted, fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and the opening of Volume 1 to grasp the time span and key figures of the author's narrative
Keep a timeline of major events of the Civil War and Reconstruction at hand and compare figures and events as you read
Jot down unfamiliar names and places for easier continuity with later volumes
With the electronic edition, use full-text search to excerpt passages on journalism by topic

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

How does this book differ from Marse Henry, Complete?

This book is Volume 1 of Marse Henry and contains only the first part of the memoir; Marse Henry, Complete is the full edition. For a systematic full read, choose the complete edition; to sample the opening first, start with this volume.

What historical background is needed to read this book?

The book touches on late nineteenth-century American politics, society during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the newspaper world of the time. It is best to first learn the rough timeline and major political figures, or you may lose the thread among the many names and events.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free eBooks; this edition is the public-domain English original, typically without a modern editor's introduction, notes, or translation. Readers get content close to the original text and must supply background themselves, which suits readers capable of independent reading.

Is this memoir suitable as a source to cite in historical research?

A memoir is a first-person account shaped by the author's standpoint and memory, and should not be used alone as factual evidence. In research, cross-check it against contemporary newspapers, archives, and other materials, using it as supporting material for observing public opinion and impressions of figures at the time.

Comments

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About the author

Henry Watterson Author · American · 1840–1921

Henry Watterson (1840–1921) was a prominent American journalist and newspaperman born in Washington, D.C. For nearly half a century he edited the Louisville Courier-Journal, and his editorials, written under the pen name "Marse Henry," won him national fame for their distinctive style and wide influence. He briefly served as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and later received a Pulitzer Prize for an editorial supporting America's entry into World War I. His autobiography, Marse Henry (1919), offers a personal and vividly styled account of his career in journalism and the times he witnessed; the library also holds a complete edition of that work. Public information is limited, so details of his early education and private life are omitted; the available material centers on his journalistic practice, political commentary, and autobiographical writing.