Historic Boyhoods

Rupert Sargent HollandProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 385K words
Chapters: 39

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.Historic Boyhoods by Rupert Sargent HollandAuthor: Holland, Rupert Sargent, 1878-1952,Language: English, Class: CT: History: Biography, Release Date: Jan 18, 2008

Editor's review

This is a biographical work by Rupert Sargent Holland, classified under CT: History: Biography, and released free by Project Gutenberg. The book centers on the boyhoods of historical figures, focusing biography on the formative years before fame—a perspective uncommon in comparable books. Readers can see the family circumstances, educational conditions, and early character traits of these figures in their youth, and understand the origins of later achievements rather than only admiring the results. The English is relatively accessible and the narrative is story-like, making it suitable as introductory reading for English biography. Chapters are organized by person, so it can be read out of order or at a pace of one chapter a day. Note that the book was written early and bears the marks of its time; some expressions should be examined with a contemporary eye. It is not a strictly academic work, so historical facts cited should be checked against other sources. Overall, it is a lightweight, readable English history book suited to building reading volume and broadening historical knowledge in spare moments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate English learners who want to read biography in English but are daunted by long full-length works
General readers curious about the formative years of historical figures and fond of story-like narration
Teachers and organizers needing short English materials for classroom extensive reading or reading groups
Parents hoping to use stories of famous figures' boyhoods to prompt children to discuss growing up

Not a good fit for

Historical researchers requiring strict source criticism and academic citation
Beginners with weak English who cannot yet read English paragraphs independently
Readers expecting deep psychological analysis or a modern educational-theory framework

Reading tips

Start by reading the table of contents and choosing a historical figure you know to build confidence, then read the whole book.
After each chapter, write three to five sentences on the key circumstances and character clues of that figure's boyhood.
Mark unfamiliar names and places first, then look them up together after finishing a section to avoid breaking the rhythm.
Read alongside the adult portions of other biographies to observe how boyhood experiences echo later achievements.

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

What English level is this book suitable for?

The original is in English, with a story-like narrative and fairly short sentences; readers with intermediate reading ability (roughly able to read young-adult English books) can try it. If vocabulary is limited, use a dictionary or a bilingual edition, start with chapters on familiar figures, and gradually get used to the style of early English biography.

Can the historical content be cited directly as fact?

Not directly. The book was written early and is a popular biography: vivid but not strictly academic, with some details and expressions limited by its era. For writing or research, treat it as an introductory lead and verify specific dates, events, and relationships against authoritative sources.

Must it be read in order from start to finish?

No. Chapters are organized by person and are relatively independent, so you can skip around by interest. Browse the contents first, start with the figure you know best or find most interesting, then go back to other chapters—this makes it easier to stay motivated.

What is the edition situation of this book?

The e-book is released by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain e-book, with the original e-book release date of January 18, 2008. Public-domain books may have multiple e-editions with slight differences in layout and notes; simply follow the text of the edition you use.

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About the author

Rupert Sargent Holland Author · American · 1878–1952

Rupert Sargent Holland (1878–1952) was an American author born in Louisville, Kentucky, known for historical reading aimed at young readers. Many of his books were published by Macmillan. Eight of his works are included here, among them Historic Boyhoods, Historic Girlhoods, Part One, William Penn, Historic Inventions, Historic Events of Colonial Days, Historic Adventures: Tales from American History, Lafayette, We Come!, and Peter Cotterell's Treasure. He often approached history through concrete subjects such as childhood, everyday inventions, and colonial events, turning facts into clearly narrated and vivid stories that combine information with readability, which helped his work reach a wide readership among young people. Public information about his life and writing career is limited, and existing accounts rest mainly on these works.