The People's Historian: John Richard Green and the Writing of History in Victorian England

by Anthony Brundage

2020-12-31 13:00:58

In 1874, John Richard Green, a virtually unknown former clergyman, sold the rights for his school textbook, A Short History of the English People, to Macmillan for 350 pounds sterling, a generous sum for a work expected to sell a few thousand copies.... Read more

In 1874, John Richard Green, a virtually unknown former clergyman, sold the rights for his school textbook, A Short History of the English People, to Macmillan for 350 pounds sterling, a generous sum for a work expected to sell a few thousand copies. To everyone's astonishment, the work sold 32,000 copies in its first year, and a half million copies thereafter. This publishing phenomenon was also a breakthrough in historiography, for unlike earlier histories, which focused on kings and statesmen, Green's work revolved around the common people, their creative energy, and their devotion to self-government. Thus, Green was a critical figure in the transition from the writing of history of elites to a broader history of social and cultural change. He was also one of the last great amateurs at a time when the field was coming to be dominated by academic specialists. By providing an examination of Green's career, this book illuminates a critical juncture in the history of the discipline.

Less

Book Details

File size9.21 X 6.14 X 0.5 in
Print pages198
PublisherABC-Clio, LLC
Publication date November 22, 1993
LanguageEnglish
ISBN9780313279546
Anthony Brundage is Professor of History Emeritus at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA. Among his publications are seven books, the most recent of which, co-authored with Richard Co...

Compare Prices

Store Availability Book Format Condition Price
Indigo Books & Music In Stock Hard Cover Hard Cover Buy CAD 83.52
Indigo Books & MusicIn Stock
Format
Hard Cover
Condition
Hard Cover
Buy CAD 83.52
Available Discount
No Discount available

Join us and get access to all
your favourite books

Sign up for free and start exploring thousands of eBooks today.

Sign up for free