Germany's Vanishing Colonies

Le Sueur, Gordon, 1874-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 226K words
Chapters: 23

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.Germany's Vanishing Colonies by Gordon Le SueurAuthor: Le Sueur, Gordon, 1874-,Language: English, Class: JV: Political science: Colonies and colonization, International migration, Release Date: Jun 26, 2014

Editor's review

This book is Gordon Le Sueur's discursive work on the German colonial question, falling under the political science category of colonial and emigration studies. Its value lies in presenting an early twentieth-century observation and judgment of the situation of Germany's overseas colonies, serving as a primary text for understanding colonial discourse, international public opinion, and narratives of imperial rise and decline of the period. Readers should recognize that the book carries the standpoints and perspectives of its era; it is not to be taken directly as neutral historical conclusion, but is better read in comparison with later scholarship. For readers interested in colonial history, the history of international politics, and the evolution of public opinion, the book offers an analyzable sample; for general readers, its discursive nature is pronounced and requires some historical background knowledge for smooth reading. It is recommended to treat it as a historical source reader, discerning the author's positions and arguments as one reads.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in colonial history and the history of international politics
Readers who need to study early twentieth-century colonial discourse
Those able to read historical source texts with a critical eye
Readers with historical background knowledge who wish to expand their reading of primary documents

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers seeking a neutral general-history overview
Readers uninterested in political argumentation and historical context
Those expecting literary narrative or light reading

Reading tips

First learn the basic timeline of German colonial history, then enter the author's argument.
While reading, mark the author's core judgments and arguments, distinguishing fact from opinion.
Read alongside later colonial-history scholarship to test the positions in the book.
Take notes by theme and chapter to help organize the author's overall argument.

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 the stance of this book neutral?

It cannot simply be regarded as neutral. It is an early twentieth-century discursive text on the German colonies, carrying the perspectives and judgments of the author's era. When reading, one should separate factual statements from the author's opinions, ideally comparing them with later scholarship, and avoid accepting them directly as conclusions.

Can I read it without a foundation in colonial history?

You can, but it will be rather demanding. The book involves the colonial landscape and international context of the time, and without basic knowledge it is not easy to judge the author's arguments. It is advisable to first read a concise overview of German colonial history, then read the original text, which will make understanding smoother.

Is it suitable as historical research material?

It is suitable for use as a primary document or historical sample, helping to understand the colonial discourse and public-opinion perspectives of the time. But it is not a systematic general history, nor does it carry modern scholarly annotations; researchers should place it alongside later scholarship and cite it critically.

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About the author

Le Sueur, Gordon, 1874- Author · 1874

Le Sueur, Gordon (1874– ) is an author about whom little is publicly known; biographical details remain scarce and await further verification. The library currently holds only one work by this author, Germany's Vanishing Colonies. Judging from the title and subject, the book deals with the changing fortunes of Germany's overseas colonies and belongs to the literature on colonial history and the rise and fall of empires, bearing the imprint of the shifting European colonial order in the early twentieth century. Works of this kind typically combine narrative with commentary, tracing colonial gains and losses and the fluctuating reach of imperial power. Because details of the author's life are difficult to confirm, materials on his writing style and scholarly influence remain insufficient; readers may turn to the work itself to understand his concerns and the historical context in which he wrote.