The Last Shot

Frederick PalmerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 902K words
Chapters: 91

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 Last Shot by Frederick PalmerAuthor: Palmer, Frederick, 1873-1958,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 13, 2004

Editor's review

The Last Shot is a war novel by Frederick Palmer, belonging to the military narrative tradition in American literature. Palmer himself was active as a war correspondent during World War I, and this background gives his battle scenes a strong sense of immediacy and documentary color. Through the fates of its characters, the book portrays human choices in the closing phase of war, combining tense plotting with reflection on the cost of war. As a free eBook from Project Gutenberg, it is highly accessible and makes suitable supplementary reading for those interested in WWI-era literature and early American war fiction. The English original carries narrative features of the early 20th century, and its sentence patterns and vocabulary pose some challenge to contemporary readers; intermediate-level English reading ability or above is recommended. Its battle descriptions and psychological portraiture offer a firsthand textual sample for understanding the military literature of that era, and it is also suitable as supplementary material for war-themed readings in English literature courses.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in novels set during World War I
Scholars and students studying early 20th-century American war literature
Advanced learners seeking to improve English reading through original fiction
General readers who enjoy military history and accept classic narrative pacing

Not a good fit for

Readers with weak English who need Chinese support to finish a book
Readers who prefer fast-paced modern suspense or science fiction
Readers sensitive to war depictions who prefer to avoid violence

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with the late-WWI historical background before starting, to better understand characters' motives and the era's atmosphere.
Skip unfamiliar military terminology at first; grasp the main plot, then return to the details.
Pair the book with an audiobook or bilingual edition to ease the difficulty of early 20th-century English prose.
After finishing, review the main characters' choices and outcomes and consider the author's attitude toward war.

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

What English level is needed to read this book?

This is the English original, with narrative language characteristic of the early 20th century; its sentence patterns and vocabulary are somewhat distant for contemporary readers. Intermediate English reading ability or above is recommended, with a dictionary for long sentences. If you can usually read English novels fairly smoothly, this is a moderately challenging extended read.

Is this book nonfiction or a novel?

According to the available information, the book is classified under American and Canadian literature (Class PS) and is a literary work by Frederick Palmer—a novel, not war reportage. The author's experience as a war correspondent may give the scenes a realistic texture, but it should not be cited as a historical record.

Where can I get the electronic edition, and is it free?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg, a platform known for free eBooks, and is generally available at no charge. Readers can search and download it on the site by title or author; common formats include plain text and eBook formats, with the specific available formats subject to the platform page.

Do I need to know WWI history before reading?

Not strictly, but it helps. The book involves the situation at the end of the war and the circumstances of soldiers; a basic understanding of the WWI timeline, major battlefields, and army life makes it easier to follow the characters' logic of action and emotions. Readers unfamiliar with the history can also read the main text first and fill in the background afterward.

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About the author

Frederick Palmer Author · American · 1873–1958

Frederick Palmer (1873–1958) was an American journalist, war correspondent and writer, born in Pleasantville, Pennsylvania. His journalistic career spanned nearly half a century and covered numerous conflicts, including the Greco-Turkish War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I and World War II; he was known for reporting from the front lines and recording wartime events at first hand. During World War I he was the first correspondent with the American Expeditionary Forces to receive the Army Distinguished Service Medal. Seven of his works are held in this collection, including Over the Pass, The Last Shot and My Year of the War, which range from war reportage to inspirational coming-of-age writing. His style is plain and grounded in on-site observation and personal reflection. Beyond these facts, public information on his early education and institutional affiliations is limited.