Историческая литература
Различные книги в жанре Историческая литератураThe History of the Kings of Britain
Little is definitively known of the life and schooling of Geoffrey of Monmouth, but his extraordinary literary works have survived centuries as a testament to his legacy. Around the time of Geoffrey's life, the written Arthurian legends were mostly fragmentary and often incoherent. He therefore took on the task of creating the first full biographies of King Arthur and Merlin, which from that point on remained the quintessential source for all Arthurian legend tales. His finest work, «The History of the Kings of Britain», traces the reign of nearly a hundred British kings, beginning with the nation's mythical founder, Brutus. It is an imaginative and meticulously written masterpiece. Modeled after the Ænied, one half of the work is devoted towards the first ten centuries of British history. The second half, comprising about two centuries, focuses primarily around King Arthur, the rise and fall of the Round Table, and the declining fortunes of Arthur's heirs.
The Conquest of New Spain
You don't have to be a history lover to enjoy Bernal Diaz del Castillo's first-person narrative «The Conquest of New Spain.» His personal tale about being a conquistador during the fall of the Aztec empire is filled with beautiful imagery, frightful battles, and unspoken orders that occurred during the 1500's. The account also describes the Aztec culture with profound detail and insight; Castillo was amazed at the wonders of the Aztecs, yet he never forgot why he came to New Spain in the first place: «to serve God, and to also get rich.» Besides Castillo's descriptions, «The Conquest of New Spain» is singular in that it gives an unflattering account of Herman Cortes, the leader of the expedition to Mesoamerica. History has generally praised Cortes for his leadership ability and strong army of conquistadors, but Castillo paints Cortes as a man who cheated his soldiers out of the glory they deserved. Many soldiers found themselves no richer than before they arrived, and Castillo blames this on Cortes having taken his soldiers' share of the Aztec riches. Castillo waited until he was over eighty years old to complete his narrative. He wanted the truth of the fateful expedition to be fully exposed and complete, and «The Conquest of New Spain» was Castillo's way of making sure that the story of the common soldier was told in vivid detail.
The History of the Conquest of Peru
William H. Prescott (1796-1859) is regarded as not only the first American scientific historian, but also one of the best historians of the nineteenth century. A Massachusetts native, Prescott was educated at Harvard University, though he wasn't ever recognized as an outstanding student. During a food fight while he was a student at Harvard, Prescott was hit with a crust of bread, injuring his eye. It proved to be a problem that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Despite this disadvantage, he developed an incredibly vivid and precise memory. This quality is apparent in The «History of the Conquest of Peru», as the South American imagery is dense with detail and emotion. His studies of South America and other Hispanic regions were very well received during his lifetime and are still widely read and regarded incredibly important by today's historians.
Under Drake's Flag
George Alfred Henty (1832-1902) was an English novelist, war correspondent and imperialist who wrote 122 books, mostly for children. As a young man, Henty volunteered for the Army Hospital Commissariat in the Crimean War. In letters to his father, he wrote vivid descriptions of the appalling conditions for British soldiers, which his father sent to be published in the newspaper. This led to his post as a Special Correspondent, and he proceeded to report on wars and rebellions all over the world. His storytelling skills, he claimed, stemmed from entertaining his children after dinner, and his brave, intelligent, honest, resourceful characters are beloved amongst readers as much today as they were over a century ago. Set in the sixteenth century, «Under Drake's Flag» is a classical historical novel for children, which follows a young man's voyage with Sir Frances Drake on the sea and many unexplored lands.
The History of England, From the Accession of James II (Volume 5 of 5)
Thomas Babington Macaulay was a child prodigy who, by the age of 8, had written a history of the world and a poem in three cantos modeled after the poetry of Sir Walter Scott. He studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, but drew great attention for several literary essays he contributed to the Edinburgh Review. In 1849, he published the first two volumes of «The History of England, From the Accession of James II», which were immediately well-received. As a Whig, with little tolerance for Tories or understanding of James II, Macaulay disregarded many authoritative texts in his research; as a result, his work is often prejudiced and mistaken in the facts, with little room for philosophy or theorizing. However, it cannot be denied that this work is a lively and beautifully written masterpiece of English literature. This is the fifth in a series of five volumes, and includes a description of the reign of William III.
The Frontier in American History
Frederick Jackson Turner (1861-1932) presented an essay at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 that would change the study of American History forever. This essay would ultimately be published with twelve supporting articles to form «The Frontier in American History». Turner was an innovator in that he was one of the first to call attention to the Frontier as an integral part of the study of The United States of America. Turner himself grew up on the Frontier, living in Wisconsin for the better part of his life. As a child, he lived along the Wisconsin River in Portage, Wisconsin, named for its use as a portage route by American Indians. Turner was consumed by his interest in history his entire life, garnering many degrees in history, both earned and honorary. Shortly after his death, Turner was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for a collection of essays, a latter volume of work on his study of American History, «The Significance of Sections in American History».
The History and Topography of Ireland
Gerald of Wales, or Giraldus Cambrensis, was a medieval clergyman and historian who served as the royal clerk and chaplain to King Henry II of England. Gerald of Wales was afforded the opportunity in 1185 to accompany the King's son John on his first expedition to Ireland. Because of those travels he would write his first of many works by penning the «Topographia Hibernica» or the «Topography of Ireland». The work is an account of the landscape and people of Ireland and was one the longest and most influential works on the country during the Middle Ages. Shortly after writing this work he would compose his «Expugnatio Hibernica» or the «Conquest of Ireland» in which he accounts King Henry's conquest of the country. For those interested in Irish History the «Topology» and the «Conquest», both contained in this volume, give an interesting perspective from one of the foremost medieval historians.
Notes on the State of Virginia
"Notes on the State of Virginia" was the only full-length book by Thomas Jefferson published during his lifetime. Having been first published anonymously in a private printing in Paris in 1784, «Notes on the State of Virginia» was later made available to the general public in a 1787 printing in England. Considered one of the most important American books published before the turn of the 19th century, the book deals extensively with important political, legal, and constitutional principles such as the separation of church and state, constitutional government, checks and balances, and individual liberty. «Notes on the State of Virginia» is essentially a discussion of what constitutes «good society», which Jefferson believed Virginia to be an example of. Filled with an extensive compilation of data this work represents an important primary source from one the most important American figures to ever have lived.
The History of England, From the Accession of James II (Volume 2 of 5)
Thomas Babington Macaulay was a child prodigy who, by the age of 8, had written a history of the world and a poem in three cantos modeled after the poetry of Sir Walter Scott. He studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, but drew great attention for several literary essays he contributed to the Edinburgh Review. In 1849, he published the first two volumes of «The History of England, From the Accession of James II», which were immediately well-received. As a Whig, with little tolerance for Tories or understanding of James II, Macaulay disregarded many authoritative texts in his research; as a result, his work is often prejudiced and mistaken in the facts, with little room for philosophy or theorizing. However, it cannot be denied that this work is a lively and beautifully written masterpiece of English literature. This is the second in a series of five volumes, and includes information on the reign of James II.
The History of England, From the Accession of James II (Volume 4 of 5)
Thomas Babington Macaulay was a child prodigy who, by the age of 8, had written a history of the world and a poem in three cantos modeled after the poetry of Sir Walter Scott. He studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, but drew great attention for several literary essays he contributed to the Edinburgh Review. In 1849, he published the first two volumes of «The History of England, From the Accession of James II», which were immediately well-received. As a Whig, with little tolerance for Tories or understanding of James II, Macaulay disregarded many authoritative texts in his research; as a result, his work is often prejudiced and mistaken in the facts, with little room for philosophy or theorizing. However, it cannot be denied that this work is a lively and beautifully written masterpiece of English literature. This is the fourth in a series of five volumes.