The Boys' Nelson

Harold Felix Baker WheelerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 476K words
Chapters: 48

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.The Boys' Nelson by Harold WheelerAuthor: Wheeler, Harold, 1877-,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Dec 20, 2015

Editor's review

This is a biography of Nelson written for young readers by the English author Harold Wheeler, a public-domain history title. Narrated in English, it covers Nelson's life and career at sea, setting him against the backdrop of the Royal Navy from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century; it recounts his battles and decisions while also portraying his character and the limits of his era. Written for young readers, the prose is relatively plain and the narrative thread clear, making it suitable as an introductory English-language history read and as background on the man for readers interested in British naval history or the Napoleonic Wars. It is best read as a detailed supplement to a general history: first grasp the timeline, then note how the author selects his material and judges his subject. This public-domain electronic edition is easy to search and cross-check, but it lacks modern scholarly notes, so place names, ship names and ranks must be verified independently.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers seeking an introduction to British history through original English texts
General readers interested in Nelson and British naval history who want background on the man
English learners looking for a public-domain English biography for extensive reading
Parents or teachers seeking historical biographies to recommend to young readers

Not a good fit for

Professional historians expecting modern scholarly research and detailed annotation
Readers with weak English skills who need a Chinese parallel text to read smoothly
Readers hoping for Nelson's complete letters or primary-source documents

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and chapter titles first to map the timeline of Nelson's life, then begin the main text.
Jot down and look up ship names, place names and ranks as you go, so dense proper nouns do not interrupt your reading.
Read alongside a general history of the Napoleonic Wars or the Royal Navy to understand the man in his era.
Readers with basic English can first read for the gist, then tackle long sentences and unfamiliar words on a second pass.

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 in Chinese or English? What reading level is it for?

The original is in English and is written as a biography for young readers; the sentences are generally not difficult, but it involves naval proper nouns and historical background. Readers with intermediate English who are willing to look up words will find it accessible; those with weaker English can first read a related Chinese biography and then compare.

Does the book include modern scholarly notes and a bibliography?

From the available information, this is an early public-domain electronic biography and generally contains no modern scholarly notes or systematic bibliography. Readers who need to verify historical facts should consult authoritative biographies of Nelson and naval histories rather than treating this as a scholarly source.

Why is it suitable for young readers?

The original was written for young readers, with the narrative built around the subject's life and a relatively clear thread, lighter in length and difficulty than scholarly biographies. It helps young readers form a basic impression of Nelson and the age of the Royal Navy, from which they can extend their reading.

What should I keep in mind when reading the electronic edition?

Public-domain electronic editions are easy to search and carry, but layout, punctuation and the spelling of proper nouns may differ from the print book, and some versions lack illustrations or maps. Keep a map and a timeline of the subject's life at hand, note uncertain proper nouns as you go, and check them all together afterward.

Comments

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About the author

Harold Felix Baker Wheeler Author · British · 1878–1947

Harold Wheeler (Harold Felix Baker Wheeler, 1878–1947) was a British history writer and popular biographer, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, whose full name was Harold Felix Baker Wheeler. Three of his works are held in this collection. He wrote history books for publishers such as George G. Harrap over many years, and his representative works include The Story of Wellington, The Story of Napoleon and The Boys' Nelson. His writing focuses on the Napoleonic Wars and British naval history, and also touches on documentary accounts of the two World Wars, presenting military figures and the course of war to general readers with both informative content and readability. Public information is limited, and details of his life are largely unavailable; scholars and readers chiefly know his writing through these popular historical works.