The World Decision

Herrick, Robert, 1868-1938Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 334K words
Chapters: 34

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 World Decision by Robert HerrickAuthor: Herrick, Robert, 1868-1938,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

This book is a collection of essays by Robert Herrick set against the backdrop of World War I, classified under history D501, discussing the momentous choices and civilizational crisis people faced in the war's early days. As a novelist, Herrick writes with literary observation and reflection; this is not a plain military history but an examination of what "decision" means from the angles of social psychology and morality. For readers who want to understand how American intellectuals of the WWI era viewed the European situation, this book offers a perspective warmed by its historical moment. The text is a public-domain English ebook, not long, and suitable as light reading in the original English. There is no need to chase military details; it is better treated as a historical and intellectual document, to sense how people a century ago held complex attitudes toward war and peace.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in WWI history and intellectual history
Learners who want to practice reading original English and prefer the essay form
Students and teachers studying early twentieth-century American intellectuals' views on war

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic military history or strategic analysis
Beginners whose English reading ability is not yet sufficient for original essays
Readers who need a Chinese translation or annotated edition to assist reading

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and opening first to grasp the author's overall framework for discussing "decision," then read essay by essay.
Keep pen and paper to note key judgments about wartime attitudes, and review them after each chapter.
Read alongside a concise WWI history for reference to help understand the book's historical background.
Use the book as close-reading material for English essays, reading each piece twice, with the second pass focused on sentence patterns and word choice.

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 novel or historical commentary?

It belongs to history: it is Herrick's commentary on the major choices of the WWI era, written with a literary tone, but it is neither a fictional novel nor a systematic military history.

How much English is needed to read it?

The original is a public-domain English ebook with a fairly formal written style; intermediate or higher English reading ability is recommended, and beginners may use a dictionary or reference materials.

Is it suitable for learning about specific WWI battles?

Not really. The book focuses on intellectual and social observation; the course of battles and military details are not its main line, so a military history should be consulted separately.

Comments

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About the author

Herrick, Robert, 1868-1938 Author

Robert Herrick (1868–1938) was an American novelist, with 11 of his works held in this collection. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life remain unclear, yet his surviving works show a novelist who examined social reality and individual destiny. His representative novel The Memoirs of an American Citizen uses its protagonist's first-person account to portray American society in transition, while The Web of Life and Clark's Field focus on individuals struggling and making choices within actual circumstances. He also wrote One Woman's Life, Together, The Master of the Inn, The World Decision, and Literary Love-Letters and Other Stories. His writing is largely realistic and calmly observed, often using personal experience to bring social issues into view, and his works offer a valuable reference for studying American society and literature of his time.