The Evolution of an Empire: A Brief Historical Sketch of England
Mary Platt ParmeleProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019
Rating 2.7- Word count
- 175K words
- Chapters
- 18
Tags
English Originals World History Historical ReappraisalMonarchyImperial Rise and FallPolitical ChangeConcise HistoryAnnalistic NarrativePopular ExplanationIsland PerspectiveNation-StateModern BritainSummary
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 Evolution of an Empire: A Brief Historical Sketch of England by ParmeleAuthor: Parmele, Mary Platt, 1843-1911,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Jul 1, 2004Editor's review
This is a brief historical sketch of England by Mary Platt Parmele, a public-domain history title in the Project Gutenberg collection. As a "brief history," it does not aim at detailed scholarly verification; instead, it links the main phases of English history into a coherent thread that helps readers build a chronological framework and an overall impression. The author's style is summary in nature, making the book suitable as a first pass for beginners in English history, and also for readers with some historical interest who want a quick review of the overall trajectory. Because it was written long ago, its historical viewpoint, wording, and emphasis bear the marks of its time; readers should stay alert and not treat it as the sole authority. Its value lies in offering a clear, readable narrative line that gives readers a sense of direction before they turn to more specialized studies. It suits preparatory course reading, background reading before travel, or casual reading in installments.Who it's for
A good fit for
- Beginning readers who want to quickly build a chronological framework of English history
- English learners who need a concise English-language history book
- Readers interested in the style of early popular history writing
- Readers who want background knowledge before travel or a course
Not a good fit for
- History researchers who need detailed factual verification and scholarly citations
- Professional readers who expect contemporary historiographical perspectives and diverse narratives
- Readers who prefer in-depth thematic analysis over a general survey
Reading tips
- Read the table of contents first to outline the historical phases, then read in chronological order to form a clear timeline.
- While reading, consult a map or timeline to anchor the survey content in specific times and places.
- Mark judgments in the book that reflect the views of its era, and after finishing, consult contemporary historical interpretations.
- Read in stages and write brief summaries to avoid forgetting the content after a general read-through.
About the publisher
Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971Project 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.
Contents
- 1
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- 18
FAQ
Can this book serve as the first book for beginners in English history?
Yes. The book is positioned as a concise historical overview, with a coherent thread and moderate length, suitable for first building an overall chronological framework. But it is an older public-domain work whose historical viewpoint and wording bear the marks of its time; after this introduction, readers are advised to supplement it with contemporary general histories or specialized studies.Is the historical narrative in the book completely objective and reliable?
It should not be regarded as completely reliable. As an early popular history text, it bears the limitations of its era in the selection of facts, points of emphasis, and wording. Readers should stay alert, treat the book as a tool for outlining the trajectory, and verify key facts in authoritative sources.How difficult is the English, and what level is it suitable for?
This is a brief history in English, with traditional sentence patterns and a coherent narrative; overall difficulty is moderate. Readers with a reading level around CET-4 can finish it with the help of a dictionary. If you only want to grasp the outline, focus first on chapter main ideas rather than reading word by word.What is the relationship between this book and Project Gutenberg?
This book is one of the public-domain e-books in the Project Gutenberg collection, and the records indicate that its electronic edition was released early. Project Gutenberg is known for free e-books, so this book is a freely available public-domain history title; readers may wish to note the edition and formatting information.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
Mary Platt Parmele Author · American · 1843–1911Mary Platt Parmele (1843–1911) was an American historian and writer, born in Albany, New York, in 1843. She is known for a series of short national histories written in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, covering countries such as France, Russia, Germany, England, the United States, and Spain. The library holds eight of her works, including A Short History of England, Ireland and Scotland, A Short History of France, A Short History of Russia, A Short History of Germany, and A Short History of Spain, as well as historical sketches of France, Germany, and England in her "Evolution of an Empire" series. These works link historical events through clear, accessible narrative and are valued for their readability, appealing to general readers. Public information on the details of her life is limited; her reputation rests chiefly on these popular histories.