Spain

Webster, Wentworth, 1829-1907Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 352K words
Chapters: 36

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.Spain by Wentworth WebsterAuthor: Webster, Wentworth, 1829-1907,Language: English, Class: DP: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Spain, Portugal, Release Date: Jan 7, 2011

Editor's review

This is a public-domain English work on Spain by Wentworth Webster, digitized and released by Project Gutenberg. Judging from its classification, it belongs to the literature on the history and geography of Spain and Portugal and is suitable as an English-language reference for understanding Spanish history and culture. Its value lies in its early date of composition, offering a 19th-century scholar's perspective on Spain; readers can thereby learn how English-language scholarship of the time described Spain and what it focused on, which is of reference value for history, area studies, and comparative cultural reading. It should be noted that this is the original English edition without a Chinese introduction, and its framework and views carry the limitations of the author's era; it should not be used as a modern standard history of Spain or a travel guide. It is better suited to readers with some English proficiency who wish to encounter early English-language narratives about Spain, as supplementary material for research reading or broadening their horizons, rather than as a first choice for beginners.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in Spanish history and culture
Students in area studies and related fields who need English reference materials
Readers who wish to understand how 19th-century English-language scholarship described Spain

Not a good fit for

Readers who need the latest research on Spanish history or contemporary travel information
General readers with limited English proficiency who rely on Chinese translations
Beginner learners seeking a systematic, textbook-style general history framework

Reading tips

Before reading, look up the author and the background of the period in which the book was written, and read with an awareness of its historical context.
Read in comparison with modern works on Spanish history to identify the era-bound limitations of the early narrative.
Take notes by theme to sort out the regions, figures, and events the author focuses on.

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 aspect of Spain does this book cover?

The book belongs to the literature on the history and geography of Spain and Portugal, was written by a 19th-century author, and centers on Spain; the specific chapters must be confirmed by reading the original text. It reflects the narrative perspective of the era in which it was written, not a contemporary general history.

Can it be used as a reference for traveling to Spain?

Not really. The book was written long ago and contains no practical contemporary information on transportation, accommodation, or attractions. For travel planning, a current travel guide should be chosen; this book is better as background reading on history and culture.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is 19th-century English, with sentence structures and word choices characteristic of the period. Good English reading ability is recommended, and reading with a dictionary and background materials will yield better results.

Comments

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About the author

Webster, Wentworth, 1829-1907 Author · British · 1829–1907

Wentworth Webster (1829–1907) was an English clergyman and folklorist. He devoted long attention to the Basque region of northern Spain and, drawing on his time there as a missionary and traveller, collected local folk tales and set the oral material down in writing. His representative work, Basque Legends, includes an essay on the Basque language, preserving the tales while also offering reference material for linguistic study; his other work, Spain, reflects his observations on Spanish history and customs. On the whole, his writing is primarily documentary and retells what he gathered, in a plain style that respects the original character of the material. Because public information is limited, few further details of his life can be added, yet his collecting work remains significant for English-language introductions to Basque folklore and language.