Short History of England, A

By Chesterton, G. K.

Book Id: WPLBN0002954164
Format Type:
File Size: 197.27 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Short History of England, A
Author:	Chesterton, G. K.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non-fiction, History, Essay/Short nonfiction
Collections:	Audio Books Collection, Short History of England, A
Historic Publication Date:	1917
Publisher:	LibriVox Audio Books


Citation APA MLA Chicago K. Chesterto, B. G. (1917). Short History of England, A. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Description
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a prolific writer on many topics. His views of history were always from the standpoint of men and their interactions, and it may fairly be said he saw all of history as a battle between civilization and barbarism. So it has always been, and that remains true even today. But it is especially in the matter of the Middle Ages that the popular histories trample upon the popular traditions. In this respect there is an almost comic contrast between the general information provided about England in the last two or three centuries, in which its present industrial system was being built up, and the general information given about the preceding centuries, which we call broadly mediaeval. As this quotation taken from the Introduction clearly shows, he is no mere pedant reciting dry dates and locations, but a profound thinker flooding new light onto those modern myths that have filled our historys. He is a master of paradox, and the techique of reducing his opponents arguments to the logical absurdity they have inherent in them. He often turns them upside down. All of which makes his work both a sound subject for reflection and highly entertaining all the while it remains permanently timely. (Summary by Ray Clare)

Summary
Electronic recorded live performance of a reading

Excerpt
History, Essay/Short nonfiction