The First Seven Divisions

Lord Ernest HamiltonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 362K words
Chapters: 37

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 First Seven Divisions by Lord Ernest HamiltonAuthor: Hamilton, Ernest, Lord, 1858-1939,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Mar 15, 2012

Editor's review

This book is Lord Hamilton's account of the early operations of seven British divisions in the First World War, a WWI historical document in Project Gutenberg's free public-domain ebook collection. Its value lies in presenting the 1914 campaign from a participant's perspective, written in the narrative voice of a British officer of the time, offering military history enthusiasts first-hand observational material; as a public-domain electronic text, it is also easy to search and cite. Readers should note its standpoint and period limitations and not treat it as a comprehensive campaign history. It suits readers interested in WWI military history and the early campaigns of the British Army; its value as historical material is best realized when read alongside maps and general histories.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a basic knowledge of First World War military history who want first-hand accounts
Students needing public-domain English historical sources for coursework or research
General history enthusiasts who enjoy the narrative style of British military memoirs

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting a systematic, comprehensive general history of WWI
Readers unaccustomed to English originals or heavy military terminology
Readers sensitive to the standpoint of British officers of the colonial era

Reading tips

Read a concise general history of the 1914 Western Front first, then turn to the details in this book
While reading, consult campaign maps and mark the positions and timeline of the seven divisions
Excerpt the descriptions of battlefield conditions and soldiers' states as research notes

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 a complete history of WWI?

No. It mainly recounts the early operations of seven British divisions in the First World War—a partial, phase-specific first-hand account rather than a general history covering the whole war. It is suitable as supplementary historical material, not an introductory overview.

What language level is needed to read this book?

The original is in English and is a Project Gutenberg public-domain electronic text. University-level English reading ability, with a dictionary, is enough to read it through; military terminology can be understood by consulting WWI historical materials.

How should the views in the book be regarded?

The author was a British officer of the time, and the narrative carries the standpoint of its era and a personal perspective. Read it against later historical research, note its limitations, and do not treat a single account as the only conclusion.

Comments

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About the author

Lord Ernest Hamilton Author · British · 1858–1939

Lord Ernest Hamilton (1858–1939) was a British aristocrat, soldier and writer. His dual background as a nobleman and an army man gave his writing an eyewitness perspective and a practical tone. His works cover history, memoirs and popular readings, often centering on military and historical subjects, with clear organization and readability. His representative work, The First Seven Divisions, reflects his sustained interest in military themes. Public information is currently limited: details of his life, education and full body of work remain without systematic records. This entry is based only on the single work held in the collection and basic identity information, and readers may consult his writings for further insight into his approach and the value of his historical material.