Buy this book on-line Wells, H.G : The Outline of History. Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind(London: George Newnes Limited, [1920])
Written with the advice and editorial help of Mr Ernest Baker, Sir H.H. Johnston, Sir E. Ray Lankester and Professor Gilbert Murray. Two quarto volumes; original green half leatherette and cloth sides; gilt lettering and tooled effect to spines; pp. 384, (iv) + [385-780], incl. index; monochrome illustrations and maps in text; full-colour plates. The first edition in book form. Very good condition, with slightly rubbed extremities, a little spotting, and trace of rippling to top edge of first volume. In this popular work, prepared with editorial assistance, Wells had not yet given way to the extreme pessimism which characterised his final book, Mind at the End of Its Tether (1945). Though not confident in the prospects for the League of Nations, he was cautiously optimistic about Man's future. In the concluding paragraphs of The Outline of History, he writes: "History is and must always be no more than an account of beginnings. We can venture to prophesy that the next chapters to be written will tell, though perhaps with long interludes of setback and disaster, of the final achievement of worldwide political and social unity." In Twentieth Century Authors, Kunitz and Haycraft assess The Outline of History as follows: "Wells' next bid for fame was as an historian, in a huge book which sold two million copies. The Outline of History, issued in two volumes in 1920 and in one huge volume in 1929, was a single-handed attempt to write the historical section of that World Encyclopaedia which is Mr Wells's dream. Naturally it had many weaknesses, though its main critic, Hilaire Belloc, was actuated primarily by its uncompromisingly Rationalist and materialistic viewpoint. But whatever its shortcomings it is an immense achievement, equaled only by his subsequent Science of Life, written in collaboration with his son and Julian Huxley." - Kunitz & Haycraft: Twentieth Century Authors, p. 1493. Click here for full details of this book, to ask a question or to buy it on-line. Bibliophile Bookbase probably offers multiple copies of Wells, H.G : The Outline of History. Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind. Click here to select from a complete list of available copies of this book. Bibliophile Bookbase lists over 5 million books, maps and prints including livres rares, out of print books, rare books, out-of-print books and fine bindings. Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints. |