The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-02-02
The Books to Use In Learning
English History.
A SUBJECT OF IMMENSELY
Recommendations OF an Eminent
AuthorIty-Good works-Must
De Close Application.

tBy Professor George Il Adams. Pro- |
fessor OF History in Yale College,
The subject OF English history is !
difficult 10 treat in limited time be-
cause OF its immensely. the cOmpleNity |
and mass OF its events and the great
stretch OF time covered by IL.
l should recommend persons who
have little time for study and who
wish To learn at least the outlines OF
English history, to use the books in
Harper's Half Hour Series. which take
up periods OF English history.
| Somewhat larger and better. perhaps.
are Scribner's "EpOchs OF History"
These little books. besides being small.
readily carried about in the pocket and
of moderate cost. give cOncisely. ac-
curately and without bias the leading
facts OF the periods treated.
\ working man or woman by giving
only spare time to the study could read
both series in two months. and ut the
end OF that period would have a good
general outline OF the course of events
OF English history. Such work would
Law a good foundation for taking up
IL. r. Green's Short History OF the
English People" which Is the great
text book on the subject and the most
widely used in classics.
| Green. however. wrote for adult
minds already masters OF the essential
facts Cf the history. and he takes too
much for granted. assumes very i'm
portant facts as known TO his readers
and Omits any mention OF them. He
; had the historians gift As few men
have had it. being calm and impartial.
and is besides graphic and Nivld
writer. but he must be approached only
after preparation. Green. should be
, read for a general and yet more de-
, tailed survey after the general outline
has been learned.
For a years work at an hour q day,
? and by an hour meang hard. sys-
tematic study. I should recommend
, Green's Short History" and with II
GARDENERS Students History OF Eng
land" n work in three volumes. each
5 volume taking up a period. This - the
D best school history. and for persons
who have time to- read NJ home the
Joint use OF this book and the Green
D period by period. would be an excellent
{ years work. and IL can be accomplish
though of course. il will depend largely
on the speed with which the indlNidua
g can read.
D In addition the Gardiner shows eN-
: cellently the connection between the
, events and the corresponding Coustitu'
u | tional history OF the time. Green doe
v this also to- some extent. Besides thess
!. there are o fcOurse the voluminous
works OF the great historians. Macau
ilay. Froude and Freeman. covering the
l. subject in patches and with great de
j tail. but they do not 20 into the entir'
range CT the subject, for. massive as
, they are. they include but short term.
Of years.
Macaulay. for instance. in his hy'
II volumes deals with but fifteen year
\ ! Q6S5-l1OD. and FToude in fifteen yo!
!, umes writes of hut some eighty year
G52l-l6O3). These are not for the be
ginner nor for those whose time i
limited. / do not know that one doe
better in beginning to read histoT,
with the earliest times than with tn
= happenings OF yesterday. Most person
! commonly do begin ut the beginning
perhaps because most histories begii
there.
&c Ii is possible that the study OF Re
l. cent events first would arouse a livelie
= interest than those more remote. No
49, can / say that any particular epoC|
should especially be studied - bein
y more attractive or more valuable. Tn
"a history OF England in the seventeent
m century and again the period from III
, close of the American Revolution G
the present day might arouse more In
= lterest than the others.
G on the constitutional side the thiT
= teeuth and fourteenth centuries are IN
-, great periods OF growth in the h:stOr
of the constitution and are especial
to he studied IL one goes into tina
X branch Of the subject.
IN In these suggestions I have had /
mind TO give only an outline course an
not one dealing with details. Any on
who reads either the short stutis
10 mentioned or who does the fun year
work will possess a to.crdb'y clear on
- line OF English history and viii b
NJ ready. for more advanced reading. ! 4
not believe in remembering facts b
~ brute force. rs IL were. That ! ncvs
demand OF my classes. Nor have I an
system % training the memory: raths
believe that the facts OF history az
20 Ice kept in mind only by associltio
with other facts and incidents. and IN.
only 10y some such method can they