The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind

Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.3

Word count: 2.8M words
Chapters: 276

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 Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind by H. G. WellsAuthor: Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946,Language: English, Class: D: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere, Release Date: Apr 12, 2014

Editor's review

Wells's The Outline of History is not a chronicle arranged by dynastic lineage but a narrative built around "life and mankind," moving from the formation of the Earth and biological evolution all the way to the modern configuration of civilizations, in an attempt to give ordinary readers a coherent picture of the world. Its value lies in its broad vision and readable storytelling: the author weaves materials from archaeology, biology, and political history into a long narrative with causal threads, reading more like an intellectual general history than a compilation of data. As a work of the early twentieth century, some of its historical judgments and Eurocentric perspective now appear dated, but precisely for that reason it also serves as a sample of how intellectuals of that era understood the world. The electronic edition is convenient for searching and cross-referencing, making it suitable as extended reading after an introduction to general history, or as a reference for comparing historiographical views across different eras.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in world history who wish first to establish an overall chronological framework
Readers who enjoy narrative history writing and have little patience for tedious textual criticism
Students of literature and history who need to understand early twentieth-century conceptions of general history and the European perspective
Upper-intermediate and advanced English readers who wish to use the original English text for training in long-form nonfiction reading

Not a good fit for

Serious historical researchers who require support from the latest archaeological and genetic research
Readers who prefer national histories and in-depth thematic studies over grand narratives
Beginners with limited English reading stamina who hope to grasp conclusions quickly

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and chapter introductions, sketch a timeline of the whole book, then read selectively according to interest; there is no need to plow through every page.
After finishing each era, summarize the author's core judgments in a few sentences and note the points you find doubtful.
When you encounter clearly outdated historical facts, jot them down and consult modern general histories for comparison, forming critical reading notes.
It can be read alongside a contemporary world history textbook to compare the differences in materials and perspectives between two generations of historians.

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 suitable for readers with no historical background at all?

It can serve as the first long general history after an introductory reading, but it is not recommended as the only starting point. The narrative is coherent and the threshold is not high, but the book was completed early, and some historical facts and perspectives need correction with modern sources. Readers with zero background would do best to read a concise world history first, then use this book to broaden their horizons.

Is the electronic edition the original English text, and how difficult is it to read?

This edition is the original English text, written in the written English of the early twentieth century, with long sentences but generally plain style. Readers with college-level English reading ability who are used to reading long nonfiction works can manage it; those with a limited vocabulary can proceed chapter by chapter with the help of a dictionary.

Are the historical facts in the book still credible today?

The broad outlines and many basic historical facts still have reference value, but discussions concerning human origins, the chronology of ancient civilizations, and some migrations of peoples have been revised by later research. It is advisable to read it as a classic general history representing one view rather than as an authoritative reference work.

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

Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946 Author

H. G. Wells (Herbert George, 1866–1946) was a renowned British author best known for his science fiction and socially engaged works. The collection holds 76 of his works, including The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Red Room, and The Door in the Wall, and Other Stories, as well as the historical survey The Outline of History. His science fiction often starts from scientific premises and explores technological loss of control, human weakness, and social crisis, with bold imagination and clear narration; The Outline of History reflects his approachable, well-structured writing for general readers. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here, but his works show a mastery of novels, short stories, and popular history, and his influence on later science fiction is profound.