The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part A.

Hume, David, 1711-1776Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
1.2M words
Chapters
121

Tags

English Originals World History Historical ReappraisalModern PoliticsRise and FallCivic AwarenessAcademic MonographConstitutional TraditionSocial Observation

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 History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part A. by David HumeAuthor: Hume, David, 1711-1776,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Sep 8, 2006

Editor's review

This is the public-domain English electronic text of the first half of Volume I of Hume's three-volume History of England, released by Project Gutenberg. Hume's history is known for its flowing narrative and vivid character portraits and has long been regarded as one of the models of English historical writing; its value lies not only in the narration of facts but also in showing how an eighteenth-century Enlightenment historian understood the formation of political institutions, religious conflict, and national character. This volume covers the period of English history from ancient times to the Middle Ages and is suitable both as a broad overview of the English historical sequence and for those studying Hume's thought who wish to understand his historical side. Readers should note that Hume has clear period standpoints and party biases, and some of his accounts do not agree with later scholarly findings; it should not be treated as the sole factual authority. The public-domain electronic edition is convenient for searching and citation, but it lacks modern scholarly notes and maps, so it is advisable to use it alongside a standard textbook or a critical edition of English history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. First look at the table of contents to understand the time span covered by this volume, then read it in sections by dynasty or period.
  2. While reading, consult a modern chronology of English history to help locate events and the relationships between figures.
  3. Pay attention to Hume's evaluations of individuals and party conflicts; after reading, compare them with accounts by other historians.
  4. Read with a map to make up for the lack of maps in the public-domain electronic text.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
  64. 64
  65. 65
  66. 66
  67. 67
  68. 68
  69. 69
  70. 70
  71. 71
  72. 72
  73. 73
  74. 74
  75. 75
  76. 76
  77. 77
  78. 78
  79. 79
  80. 80
  81. 81
  82. 82
  83. 83
  84. 84
  85. 85
  86. 86
  87. 87
  88. 88
  89. 89
  90. 90
  91. 91
  92. 92
  93. 93
  94. 94
  95. 95
  96. 96
  97. 97
  98. 98
  99. 99
  100. 100
  101. 101
  102. 102
  103. 103
  104. 104
  105. 105
  106. 106
  107. 107
  108. 108
  109. 109
  110. 110
  111. 111
  112. 112
  113. 113
  114. 114
  115. 115
  116. 116
  117. 117
  118. 118
  119. 119
  120. 120
  121. 121

FAQ

Is this book the complete History of England? No. This is the first half of Volume I of the three-volume work, a public-domain electronic text released in separate parts. To read the whole work, you need to look for the later parts of the same edition, and before reading, confirm the coverage of each part.
Is Hume's history still reliable today? Hume's narrative is excellently written, but it carries the period standpoint and party bias of the eighteenth century, and some of his factual judgments have been revised by later research. It is better read as a historical classic and an object of study rather than as the sole factual authority, and it should be compared with modern scholarly works.
Does this edition have notes and maps? According to the information, this is a public-domain English electronic text released by Project Gutenberg that provides only author, language, and classification information and does not state that it contains modern notes or maps. If you need supplementary materials, prepare a chronology of English history, a map, or an annotated scholarly edition separately.

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

Hume, David, 1711-1776 Author

David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian and essayist whose thought had a profound influence on modern philosophy and historiography. The collection contains fifteen of his works, covering philosophy, religion, morality, knowledge and history. His representative works include A Treatise of Human Nature, which systematically examines understanding, the passions and morals and lays the foundation of his empiricist position; An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, which restate these ideas in a clearer style; Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, which explores religious belief through reasoned debate; and The History of England, which represents another side of his historical writing. His prose is clear, cautious and sceptical, and he excels at turning abstract questions into readable discussion. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not developed here; this introduction focuses on the subjects and influence of his works.