Monk

Sir Julian Stafford CorbettProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 366K words
Chapters: 37

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.Monk by Julian Stafford CorbettAuthor: Corbett, Julian Stafford, 1854-1922,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Jun 12, 2014

Editor's review

This book is a historical biography by the British naval historian Julian Corbett, focusing on the renowned English military figure Monk. With a historian's rigor, Corbett situates his subject within the political and military upheavals of seventeenth-century England, tracing key moments of his military career while attending to his choices and circumstances amid shifts of regime. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, it preserves the complete original text, making it easy for readers to search and cross-reference. For readers familiar with the history of the English Revolution and the Restoration, it offers a vantage point on that period through a military figure; for those studying naval history and military institutions, Corbett's background adds further value. Note that this is an English-language original of early date, whose prose differs from contemporary biography and is best read alongside relevant historical background.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in seventeenth-century English history and political-military change
Students and scholars of military history, naval history, or English constitutional history
Readers seeking to understand the Restoration period through a biography
Readers comfortable with English-language originals and older prose styles

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a popular, story-driven biography and a light reading experience
Readers unable to read English and without a parallel translation
Readers wholly unfamiliar with English history and lacking a basic timeline

Reading tips

First map out the timeline from the English Revolution to the Restoration, then enter the narrative to understand the context of his choices.
Read alongside Corbett's other naval histories to appreciate his methods and emphases.
Look up names, places, and military titles as needed so terminology does not interrupt reading.
Read chapter by chapter as an eBook, briefly noting events and relationships after each chapter.

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 a novel or a historical biography?

The material indicates it is a historical biography by Corbett about Monk, a work of history rather than fiction. It centers on the subject's life and era, and should be read as history with reference to relevant sources.

Can I read it without a background in English history?

Yes, but it is difficult. The book assumes knowledge of seventeenth-century English politics and military affairs, and without that foundation the relations among names and events can be confusing. It is advisable to first learn the basic timeline or read alongside a general history.

What should I note when reading the electronic edition?

This is a free Project Gutenberg eBook in the original English. The electronic format makes it easy to search names and events but can encourage fragmented reading. Plan your reading by chapters and use search to review relationships.

Is Corbett's style suitable for beginners?

Corbett was a scholarly historian, his prose is formal, and the book is old enough that its syntax and vocabulary differ from contemporary works. Beginners may need an adjustment period, but with background materials and genuine interest in the subject, they can still gain a fairly complete understanding.

Comments

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About the author

Sir Julian Stafford Corbett Author · British · 1854–1922

Sir Julian Stafford Corbett (1854–1922) was a British naval historian and theorist of maritime strategy. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, he lectured at the Royal Naval College, served as a strategic adviser to the Admiralty, and was knighted in 1917. In Some Principles of Maritime Strategy he set out a systematic theory of naval warfare, earning recognition alongside Mahan as a founding figure of sea-power thought; his ideas deeply influenced reform in the Royal Navy and remain important in naval historical scholarship. Four of his works are held here: besides his strategic writings, they include a study of Monk, an edition of Fighting Instructions, 1530–1816, and a novel, Kophetua the Thirteenth, showing a range that spans strategy, naval history and literature.