An Englishman Looks at the World is a 1914 essay collection by H. G. Wells containing journalistic pieces written between 1909 and 1914. The book consists of twenty-six pieces ranging from five[1] to sixty-two pages[2] in length. An American edition was published the same year by Harper and Brothers under the title Social Forces in England and America.
Wells organized the essays thematically, inserting a fanciful "synopsis" after the table of contents conveying his view that the book constituted an argument: "Blériot arrives and sets him thinking. (1) He flies, (2) and deduces certain consequences of cheap travel. (3) He considers the King, and speculates on the New Epoch; (4) he thinks Imperially, (5) and then, coming to details, about Labour, (6) Socialism, (7) and Modern Warfare. (8) He discourses on the Modern Novel, (9) and the Public Library; (10) criticises Chesterton, Belloc, (11) and Sir Thomas More, (12) and deals with the London Traffic Problem as a Socialist should. (13) He doubts the existence of Sociology, (14) discusses Divorce, (15) Schoolmasters, (16) Motherhood, (17) Doctors, (18) and Specialisation; (19) questions if there is a People, (20) and diagnoses the Political Disease of Our Times. (21) He then speculates upon the future of the American Population, (22) considers a possible set-back to civilisation, (23) the Ideal Citizen, (24) the still undeveloped possibilities of Science, (25), and—in the broadest spirit—the Human Adventure. (26)"[3]
Backgroundedit
The journalistic production in An Englishman Looks at the World reflects Wells's turn from novel-writing to journalism, which began in the years before the outbreak of the Great War.[4] He was more and more frequently invited to write articles for popular periodicals like the Daily Mail.[5]
Included in the collection are an account of "My First Flight,"[6] a long essay entitled "The Great State" that prefigured many of the themes of The Outline of History, and a philosophical essay entitled "The So-Called Science of Sociology," arguing that sociology would never be a science because "counting, classification, measurement, the whole fabric of mathematics, is subjective and deceitful, and . . . the uniqueness of individuals is the objective truth."[7]
Referencesedit
^"About Sir Thomas More" and "Traffic and Rebuilding."
^H.G. Wells, Social Forces in England and America (New York and London: Harper and Brothers, 1914).
^Michael Sherborne, H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life (Peter Owen, 2010), p. 210.
^Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie, H.G. Wells: A Biography (Simon and Schuster, 1973), p. 287. "The Labour Unrest," a 44-page essay, was originally a series of articles commissioned by the future Lord Northcliffe that appeared in the Daily Mail in May 1912. Biographer David C. Smith calls the series of articles "one of Wells's finer hours" in which he "brought his intelligence and pen to bear on a problem that was widely discussed" (H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography [Yale UP, 1986], p. 131). Wells's call for "a national plan" to foster "a great, deliberative, renascence of will and understanding" as the only alternative to "decay" provoked what Smith calls "a great national debate" (ibid., p. 132).
^This took place on Aug. 5, 1912, in Farman seaplane piloted by Claude Graham-White. Michael Sherborne, H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life (Peter Owen, 2010), p. 216.
^H.G. Wells, Social Forces in England and America (New York and London: Harper and Brothers, 1914), p. 230.
englishman, looks, world, 1914, essay, collection, wells, containing, journalistic, pieces, written, between, 1909, 1914, book, consists, twenty, pieces, ranging, from, five, sixty, pages, length, american, edition, published, same, year, harper, brothers, und. An Englishman Looks at the World is a 1914 essay collection by H G Wells containing journalistic pieces written between 1909 and 1914 The book consists of twenty six pieces ranging from five 1 to sixty two pages 2 in length An American edition was published the same year by Harper and Brothers under the title Social Forces in England and America An Englishman Looks at the WorldFirst editionAuthorH G WellsCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishGenreEssaysPublisherCassell amp CoPublication date1914Pages356 Wells organized the essays thematically inserting a fanciful synopsis after the table of contents conveying his view that the book constituted an argument Bleriot arrives and sets him thinking 1 He flies 2 and deduces certain consequences of cheap travel 3 He considers the King and speculates on the New Epoch 4 he thinks Imperially 5 and then coming to details about Labour 6 Socialism 7 and Modern Warfare 8 He discourses on the Modern Novel 9 and the Public Library 10 criticises Chesterton Belloc 11 and Sir Thomas More 12 and deals with the London Traffic Problem as a Socialist should 13 He doubts the existence of Sociology 14 discusses Divorce 15 Schoolmasters 16 Motherhood 17 Doctors 18 and Specialisation 19 questions if there is a People 20 and diagnoses the Political Disease of Our Times 21 He then speculates upon the future of the American Population 22 considers a possible set back to civilisation 23 the Ideal Citizen 24 the still undeveloped possibilities of Science 25 and in the broadest spirit the Human Adventure 26 3 Background editThe journalistic production in An Englishman Looks at the World reflects Wells s turn from novel writing to journalism which began in the years before the outbreak of the Great War 4 He was more and more frequently invited to write articles for popular periodicals like the Daily Mail 5 Included in the collection are an account of My First Flight 6 a long essay entitled The Great State that prefigured many of the themes of The Outline of History and a philosophical essay entitled The So Called Science of Sociology arguing that sociology would never be a science because counting classification measurement the whole fabric of mathematics is subjective and deceitful and the uniqueness of individuals is the objective truth 7 References edit About Sir Thomas More and Traffic and Rebuilding The American Population H G Wells Social Forces in England and America New York and London Harper and Brothers 1914 Michael Sherborne H G Wells Another Kind of Life Peter Owen 2010 p 210 Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie H G Wells A Biography Simon and Schuster 1973 p 287 The Labour Unrest a 44 page essay was originally a series of articles commissioned by the future Lord Northcliffe that appeared in the Daily Mail in May 1912 Biographer David C Smith calls the series of articles one of Wells s finer hours in which he brought his intelligence and pen to bear on a problem that was widely discussed H G Wells Desperately Mortal A Biography Yale UP 1986 p 131 Wells s call for a national plan to foster a great deliberative renascence of will and understanding as the only alternative to decay provoked what Smith calls a great national debate ibid p 132 This took place on Aug 5 1912 in Farman seaplane piloted by Claude Graham White Michael Sherborne H G Wells Another Kind of Life Peter Owen 2010 p 216 H G Wells Social Forces in England and America New York and London Harper and Brothers 1914 p 230 External links editAn Englishman Looks at the World at Project Gutenberg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title An Englishman Looks at the World amp oldid 1210866745, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
