They Shall Not Pass

Frank Herbert SimondsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 135K words
Chapters: 14

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.They Shall Not Pass by Frank H. SimondsAuthor: Simonds, Frank H. (Frank Herbert), 1878-1936,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Feb 24, 2009

Editor's review

This is Frank H. Simonds's commentary on the First World War, its title taken from the famous slogan of the Battle of Verdun, and it bears clear marks of its era. Simonds, a journalist and historical writer of the time, combines firsthand observation with strategic analysis, making the book suited to readers interested in the military history of World War I, wartime public opinion, and Allied strategy. It is a public-domain e-book released free by Project Gutenberg, and the main barriers to reading are the original English and the need for background knowledge of World War I history. It is not a systematic campaign history but closer to a collection of wartime commentary, from which readers can sense how early twentieth-century Anglo-American intellectuals judged the course of the war and the rhetorical style they used. It is advisable to read it alongside a timeline of World War I and the basic facts of the Battle of Verdun so as to understand the context of the author's arguments; readers should also note that the views reflect the positions of the time and should be read as historical source material and period text rather than neutral conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the military history and strategic commentary of World War I
History enthusiasts studying wartime public opinion, journalism, and public discourse
University students who need English public-domain source material for textual analysis
Readers accustomed to e-books who want free access to English originals

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic general history of World War I or campaign detail
Readers with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation
Serious researchers expecting neutral, objective academic conclusions

Reading tips

Look up the Battle of Verdun and the World War I timeline before starting the text, so as to understand the context of the arguments.
Read the book as a wartime commentary text, noting the author's positions and rhetoric rather than treating it as settled fact.
Read alongside maps and a chronology to help locate the campaigns and strategic judgments mentioned in the book.
The English original is of limited length; take notes chapter by chapter, recording the author's core arguments and evidence.

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 general history of World War I?

No. It is closer to Simonds's commentary on the course of World War I, focused on Allied strategy and judgments about the wartime situation, rather than a systematic account of all campaigns and diplomacy. If you need a general framework, read an overview of World War I first, then read this book as supplementary period material.

What does the title "They Shall Not Pass" mean?

This slogan is closely associated with the Battle of Verdun in World War I and expresses the defenders' determination not to yield. The book takes it as its title, reflecting its focus on the key campaigns of World War I and the Allies' will to resist. Readers can understand the title's period context by referring to the history of the Battle of Verdun.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The book is an English original written in the early twentieth century, with sentence structures and vocabulary characteristic of the commentary style of the time. It suits readers with college-level English reading ability who are also familiar with basic World War I terminology; if English is difficult, read a Chinese history of World War I first to establish background, then read selected passages against the original.

What are the characteristics of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg is an early provider of free e-books, and this book is its public-domain electronic text, easy to obtain and free of copyright obstacles. The text is the original English, typically without modern scholarly notes or introductions, so readers must supplement the historical background themselves.

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About the author

Frank Herbert Simonds Author · American · 1878–1936

Frank H. Simonds (1878–1936) was an American journalist and critic who devoted his writing mainly to military and international affairs. Public information about his life is limited, but his professional identity and writing focus are clear: with a reporter's keen observation and a critic's analytical approach, he followed issues such as war, military strategy, and the international order. His representative work, They Shall Not Pass, deals with military subject matter, and the title itself carries a strong sense of wartime memory, in keeping with his enduring interests. As far as the available material shows, his output was small—only one work is held in this collection—so any overall picture of his writing remains limited. In general, Simonds was known for his commentary on current affairs and military matters and occupied a place in early twentieth-century American journalism and criticism; his writing offers some reference value for understanding the military and international debates of his time.