A Glimpse of Switzerland

顾德隆The Commercial Press · ChinaOct 2021

3.4

Word count: 32K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

A celebrated man of letters once called Switzerland "the playground of Europe," for people from all over the world love to spend their holidays in this small country at the heart of Europe, inventing every kind of amusement. Small as it is, Switzerland is home to more than one language and people. Patriotism and a love of freedom are the sole bond that unites its citizens. The Swiss are devoted to their mountains and lakes, and have fought hard more than once against those who would take their freedom. The Swiss Republic has stood for several hundred years; its people govern their affairs well, defend their country, and offer the world an example of a peaceful and contented nation. They are well satisfied with what they have, coveting no one's possessions and wishing no one to trespass on theirs.

Editor's review

This book is the Switzerland volume in The Commercial Press's "Glimpse" series, brief in length yet clearly structured. Starting from the literary metaphor of "Europe's playground," the author first describes how Switzerland attracts the world with its mountains, lakes, and holiday amusements, then turns to its unique national character: diverse in language and ethnicity yet bound together by patriotism and love of freedom. The book particularly emphasizes the Swiss people's deep affection for their landscape, their historical memory of fighting for freedom, and the national character—governing their affairs and being content with their lot—formed over centuries since the country's founding. These accounts carry the generalizing tone of early popular works, yet they happen to offer an entry point for understanding Switzerland: how a small country unites diverse languages and ethnic groups through a shared political identity. For readers who want a quick grasp of Switzerland's image, it is a handy primer; for those who enjoy old-style human geography essays, it also reveals the perspective and warmth with which that generation of authors observed other countries. Best read as cultural essays, not as a handbook on contemporary Switzerland.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a preliminary interest in Swiss history and culture who want a quick understanding of its national character
Readers who enjoy concise popular primers and old-style human geography essays
Travelers who want background knowledge on Switzerland before a trip and a sense of its landscape and freedom tradition
General readers interested in how a multilingual small country forms a national identity

Not a good fit for

Readers who need detailed analysis of contemporary Swiss political institutions and economic data
Those expecting a systematic general history of Switzerland or in-depth monographic research
Readers skeptical of generalized descriptions of national character

Reading tips

Start with the metaphor of "Europe's playground" to grasp the book's overall positioning of Switzerland.
Read alongside a map of Switzerland, noting the language regions and place names mentioned to build a spatial impression.
After reading, consult a modern overview of Switzerland and compare it with the book's judgments to understand the differences of era.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

版权信息
第一章欧洲的游戏场
第二章阿尔卑上的夏季
第三章瑞士的农家
第四章利曼湖岸
第五章四郡湖
第六章威廉太尔的故事
第七章三大名战
第八章琉森的小英雄
第九章索琉人焚刻尔里的亚诺尔德
第十章冰雪堕
第十一章冬天的瑞士道上
第十二章登山
第十三章山峰和山路
第十四章瑞士的游戏
第十五章羚羊
第十六章捕羚羊的故事
第十七章热风

FAQ

What aspects of Switzerland does this book mainly cover?

It mainly covers Switzerland's image as a holiday destination, its situation as a country of multiple languages and ethnic groups, and how patriotism and love of freedom serve as the bond uniting its people. It also describes the Swiss people's love of their landscape, their historical memory of fighting for freedom, and their contented character—a generalized human geography introduction.

What does "Glimpse" in the title mean?

"Glimpse" is the name of this series of short books from The Commercial Press, meaning a brief look or quick overview rather than an in-depth monograph. Readers should treat it as an introductory human geography work, gaining a first impression of Switzerland in a short time rather than expecting a complete, systematic country study.

The book says Switzerland has more than one language and ethnic group—will that affect reading?

It will not affect comprehension. The book merely introduces linguistic and ethnic diversity as a feature of Switzerland's national situation and does not delve into linguistic or ethnic analysis. Readers need only know that Switzerland unites diverse linguistic and ethnic groups through a shared political identity; details can be found elsewhere.

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About the author

顾德隆 Author

Gu Delong is an author about whom very little public information is available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that three of his works are held in the collection: A Glimpse of France, A Short History of the United States, and A Glimpse of Switzerland, which suggests that his writing interests lie mainly in world history and country profiles. These works introduce the historical development and social features of France, the United States, and Switzerland in a concise style; they are popular readings intended for general readers, modest in length and focused on readability. His works have also been classified under parenting, indicating that his writing is not limited to history and geography. Overall, Gu Delong is an author known for popular introductory works; his output is small, and further material remains to be discovered.