My Native Land

Cox, James, 1851-1901Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 591K words
Chapters: 60

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.My Native Land by James CoxAuthor: Cox, James, 1851-1901,Language: English, Class: E151: History: America: United States, Release Date: Jan 1, 2004

Editor's review

This is an English-language work on an American theme by James Cox, released free of charge by Project Gutenberg. As one of the earliest e-book providers, Project Gutenberg preserves the original appearance of public-domain books, making this a suitable introductory English read for understanding American historical narrative. The title "My Native Land" suggests a tone that combines personal perspective with attachment to home and country, allowing readers to observe how an American author of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century told the story of his land and its history. Being a public-domain electronic text, the body is unedited by modern hands; the layout is plain, and the emphasis is on the content itself. For readers who need original English historical sources, care about the tradition of American historical writing, or wish to practice English reading with public-domain resources, this book offers a low-cost and reliable option. It is best read as a historical source and language material rather than as modern popular history; consulting maps and chronological background as you read will make the experience more solid.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners who want to practice reading with original public-domain texts
General readers interested in American history and local narrative
Students and researchers who need free electronic historical sources for reference

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking modern scholarly annotations and introductions
Readers who prefer Chinese and are not comfortable with original English texts
Those expecting a strongly plot-driven popular history

Reading tips

Look up the author's life and the date of composition before reading the body, to help judge the narrative stance.
Keep an American map and a chronology at hand, comparing geography and period as you read.
Copy out unfamiliar words and long sentences separately, and work through them chapter by chapter as intensive English reading material.

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 or English?

The body is the original English text, released as an electronic text by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers need some English reading ability, or a dictionary or translation to assist understanding.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free public-domain e-books; the text largely preserves the original book, without modern annotations, introductions, or illustrated editing. The advantage is that it is free and easy to obtain; the drawback is the plain layout and lack of supporting materials.

Can I read it without a background in American history?

You can, but it is advisable to first acquire a basic timeline of American history; otherwise you will easily be interrupted by names, places, and period background. It is better treated as an English reader to be used alongside background materials.

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

Cox, James, 1851-1901 Author · 1851–1901

James Cox (1851–1901) was an English-language author of the late nineteenth century whose biographical record survives only sparsely in published sources. At present it can be confirmed only that he was born in 1851 and died in 1901, and that his name appears in library catalogue records. One work by him is held in the collection, My Native Land. Judging from its title, the book likely offers an account of his native place and local life, written in a documentary manner combining personal recollection with local description. Because biographical material is lacking, his nationality, profession, education and writing career cannot be established with certainty, and scholarly discussion of him and his book remains limited. Knowledge of Cox today still depends mainly on catalogue records and on this single work, whose value lies more in its documentary interest than in literary reputation.