Sir William Wallace

Alexander Falconer MurisonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 310K words
Chapters: 32

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.Sir William Wallace by Alexander Falconer MurisonAuthor: Murison, Alexander Falconer, 1847-1934,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Feb 28, 2014

Editor's review

This is a biographical work on William Wallace by Alexander Falconer Murison, a public-domain English historical title in the Project Gutenberg free ebook collection. Wallace was a key figure in the Scottish Wars of Independence, and the book narrates his life and times in the style typical of late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century historical writing: attentive to narrative sequence and personal character, with a formal tone. For Chinese readers its value lies not in offering the latest research findings but in showing how the early English-speaking world told the story of this national hero; it can serve as a textual sample for understanding Scottish historical memory and heroic narrative. It is best read as historical narrative rather than as a rigorously sourced modern academic biography, with care to distinguish historical fact from later legend.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Scottish history and the Wars of Independence
History enthusiasts who want to see how the image of Wallace was constructed in writing
Readers with English reading ability who enjoy public-domain historical works
Literature enthusiasts seeking heroic narrative texts for comparative reading

Not a good fit for

Serious researchers needing the latest scholarly verification and annotation
Readers with weak English who rely on Chinese translations
Casual readers expecting novelistic, legendary plots

Reading tips

First learn the basic timeline of the Scottish Wars of Independence, then begin the main text.
Mark passages involving legend or unclear historical fact while reading, and verify them separately.
Compare with modern Wallace scholarship or a general history of Scotland to identify the narrative stance.
Read the book as a text of historical memory, attending to how the author shapes the heroic image.

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 about the Wallace from the film?

The book is about the historical figure William Wallace, but it was written long before the related modern film and television works. Its narrative uses the heroizing style of the author's era and is not equivalent to the plots of screen adaptations; readers should distinguish historical record from artistic embellishment.

Do I need to read Scottish history first?

It is advisable to grasp the general background and main events of the Scottish Wars of Independence first; otherwise the many names and political relationships in the book can be confusing. Reading with that background makes comprehension smoother.

How reliable are the historical sources in this book?

This is an early public-domain historical work with a strong narrative bent but lacking modern scholarly annotation, and some content may blend later legend. It is suitable as material for understanding early historical writing, not as a direct basis for verification.

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About the author

Alexander Falconer Murison Author · 1847–1934

Alexander Falconer Murison (1847–1934) was a British writer and scholar active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life are now difficult to trace, yet it is clear that he long devoted attention to Scottish historical figures and national narrative. His representative work, Sir William Wallace, is held in this collection; it centers on Wallace, the national hero of the Scottish Wars of Independence, recounting his resistance to English invasion and his historical standing. Murison's writing tends to combine historical biography with popular narrative, emphasizing the sequence of events and the shaping of character, in plain and clear language accessible to general readers seeking to understand the political and military background of medieval Scotland. Such works have had some influence in spreading Scottish national memory in the English-speaking world and offer later readers an readable introductory text for understanding the image of Wallace.