Darius the Great

Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 325K words
Chapters: 33

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.Darius the Great by Jacob AbbottAuthor: Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879,Language: English, Class: DS: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Asia, Release Date: Jan 13, 2009

Editor's review

Jacob Abbott was a nineteenth-century American writer known for biographies of historical figures written for general readers and young people; this book is one volume in his series of historical works and recounts the deeds of Darius I of the Persian Empire. Abbott's approach emphasizes narrative continuity and character portrayal, organizing political and military events into an easy-to-follow storyline, making it suitable as an English-language introduction to classical Western history. This is a public-domain electronic edition prepared by Project Gutenberg, in the original English with no modern annotations, so it is better treated as a popular account for learning about Darius's life and the rise of the Persian Empire than as a rigorous scholarly work. Readers should note that, written in the nineteenth century, some statements of fact and evaluations carry the limitations of their era and are best read alongside modern historical scholarship. Overall, its value lies in offering a convenient path into ancient Persian history in fluent English, suitable for combining English reading practice with an introduction to historical interest.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers who want to learn about ancient Persia and Darius's life in English
Students who need accessible history for extensive English reading practice
Readers interested in nineteenth-century Western popular history writing
Middle school or training-institution teachers preparing materials for history lessons

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers who need the latest archaeological findings and rigorous historical argumentation
Readers with weak English proficiency who need a Chinese translation for support
Readers expecting detailed annotations, maps, and a bibliography

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and chapter titles first to establish a timeline of Darius's life before reading chapter by chapter.
Consult a map of the Persian Empire's territory while reading to help understand the campaigns and administrative measures.
Compare the book's account with modern historical works and note the limitations of nineteenth-century writing.
Take notes on people and events as reading practice for English historical texts.

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 scholarly history?

No. It is a work on a historical figure written by Jacob Abbott for general readers, emphasizing narrative and readability, and lacking modern scholarly annotations and a bibliography. It is suitable as an introduction, not as a basis for research.

What English level is needed to read it?

The text is nineteenth-century English, with sentences somewhat longer than in modern English, but the overall narrative is clear. Readers with intermediate English reading ability who can use a dictionary for unfamiliar words will find it suitable; complete beginners will struggle.

Does the book's content fully match modern historical views?

Written in the nineteenth century, some statements of fact and evaluations of figures reflect the limitations of the perspective of that time. It is best treated as an accessible introduction and read in comparison with modern research on the Persian Empire and Darius.

Comments

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About the author

Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879 Author

Jacob Abbott (1803–1879) was an American author and educator best known for his historical and biographical works. The library holds 51 of his works, including Darius the Great, History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, History of Julius Caesar, Richard II, Cyrus the Great, Pyrrhus, Cleopatra, and Peter the Great. Writing for young readers, he wove individual lives into the broader context of their times, narrating the rise and fall of rulers and figures in clear, accessible prose that made history both readable and instructive. His historical biographies circulated widely and helped popularize history reading. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so this profile focuses on the subjects and style of his works.