The Audacious War

Barron, Clarence W. (Clarence Walker), 1855-1928Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 224K words
Chapters: 23

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.The Audacious War by Clarence W. BarronAuthor: Barron, Clarence W. (Clarence Walker), 1855-1928,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Apr 5, 2006

Editor's review

This book is a work of wartime commentary written by Clarence W. Barron during World War I, a public-domain historical document in the Project Gutenberg free ebook series. Its value lies not in offering a complete military history but in presenting the immediate judgments of a contemporary American financial journalist on the war situation, economic mobilization, and international relations, allowing readers to sense the tone and concerns of the English-language public sphere in the 1910s. The arguments carry a distinct period stance and personal coloring, and some predictions may not withstand later historical scrutiny, but precisely for this reason it serves as a primary source for studying wartime public opinion and modes of historical writing. It is suited to reading with the eye of a historian rather than as an introduction to a comprehensive history of the war. Readers are advised to consult a reliable general history of World War I alongside it, to distinguish the author's factual statements from his interpretive judgments, and to note how his financial perspective shapes his analysis of the war's direction. For readers interested in media history, economic history, and wartime public opinion, this small book offers a contemporary voice rarely found elsewhere.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Historians specializing in English-language public opinion and commentary during World War I
Those interested in wartime economics and the role of the financial press
Researchers needing public-domain English historical sources for textual analysis
Advanced readers interested in early twentieth-century international relations

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic general history of World War I or campaign details
Readers expecting neutral, objective military history
General readers who struggle with English and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read a chronology of World War I first, then locate the author's judgments against the time of writing.
Mark factual statements versus interpretive judgments as you read, distinguishing historical information from personal stance.
Read alongside a modern general history of World War I to test the author's predictions.
For research, excerpt his economic and public-opinion arguments as samples of wartime discourse.

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 general history of World War I?

No. It is a work of commentary written during the war, focusing on the author's personal judgments about the situation, the economy, and public opinion rather than systematically narrating the entire war. To understand campaigns and the overall course, read a general history of World War I alongside it.

Are the book's views still reliable today?

They should not be taken as settled conclusions. The author has a distinct period stance and financial perspective, and some predictions have been revised by later historical facts. Its main value lies in reflecting how contemporaries understood events; read it against reliable histories and distinguish fact from commentary.

What English level is needed to read it?

This is a public-domain English book written in the style of early twentieth-century newspaper commentary, with long sentences and many period-specific terms. It suits readers with university-level English reading ability who are willing to look up historical terms; beginners should start with Chinese introductory works.

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About the author

Barron, Clarence W. (Clarence Walker), 1855-1928 Author · American · 1855–1928

Clarence W. Barron (1855–1928) was an American financial journalist. He served as an editor of The Wall Street Journal and founded Barron's, the weekly financial publication named after him. Public information about his early life and education is limited, but his career was closely tied to financial journalism. One of his works is held in this collection, The Audacious War. Judging from its title and his professional identity, the book likely addresses war in relation to finance and business conditions, reflecting his habit of examining major current events through a reporter's eye and with attention to economic trends. Through his editing and publishing work, Barron helped bring financial information more systematically to the public and left a mark on the development of American financial journalism; the publication he founded continues under his name as a notable window on the markets.