Arizona's Yesterday

Woon, Basil, 1893-1974Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.5

Word count: 159K words
Chapters: 16

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.Arizona's Yesterday by John H. Cady and Basil WoonAuthor: Woon, Basil, 1893-1974,Language: English, Class: F786: United States local history: New Southwest. Colorado River, Canyon, and Valley, Release Date: May 3, 2009

Editor's review

Co-authored by John H. Cady and Basil Woon, this book belongs to the category of local history of the American Southwest, focusing on Arizona's past and released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book. Its value lies in recording fragments of Arizona's local history in the original English text, making it suitable as supplementary historical material for research on the American Southwest or as English reading material. The content reflects the narrative perspective of the era in which it was written; readers should approach it as a historical source rather than as a contemporary general history. For readers interested in the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon, and the background of Southwest development, this book offers a firsthand period portrait. When reading, it is advisable to consult historical maps and timelines of the American Southwest, distinguish the era's standpoint from historical fact, and avoid equating early textual statements directly with today's scholarly conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers studying the local history of the American Southwest
Academic writers seeking supplementary early Arizona historical sources
Learners practicing historical reading with original English texts
Enthusiasts interested in the background of the American West's development era

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a Chinese-language general history of Arizona
Rigorous researchers expecting contemporary scholarly verification and annotated editions
Ordinary tourists who prefer light travelogues or illustrated guidebooks

Reading tips

First outline the timeline around Arizona's statehood, then proceed to the main text
Use historical maps of the American Southwest to locate events and places mentioned in the book
Be mindful of distinguishing the author's era-specific tone from today's historiographical views

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 complete general history of Arizona?

No. It is a public-domain work in the local history category, recording fragments of Arizona's past from the perspective of its era. It is closer to a historical narrative than a comprehensive contemporary general history, and readers need to supplement it with other research.

What language proficiency is needed to read it?

The original book is in English, so readers need good English reading ability. It involves place names and historical background of the early American Southwest; preparing relevant background materials is recommended to reduce comprehension difficulty.

Was this book published in 2019?

The 2019 date in the materials refers to the release year of the Project Gutenberg e-edition, not the original publication date. The original book was written much earlier, and its content reflects the narrative perspective of the author's time.

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About the author

Woon, Basil, 1893-1974 Author · British · 1893–1974

Basil Woon (1893–1974) was a British journalist and travel writer who lived for many years in the United States, known for writing that records local life and regional detail through his travels. One work by him is held in this collection, Arizona's Yesterday, whose title points to the bygone days of Arizona and suggests an interest in local history and everyday observation in the American West, in a documentary and observant style. Public information about his life is limited: beyond his identity as a journalist and travel writer and his long residence in the United States, no confirmed details are available about his education, employers, or awards, so no conjecture is offered. Overall, he belongs among the British writers of the early twentieth century who recorded American regional life through travel writing; his work offers a sidelight on the social memory of Arizona at the time, though its reach and scholarly attention remain to be further examined.