History of Freedom, and Other Essays [Hardcover]

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron Acton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1907

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JOHN E.E. DALBERG ACTON (1834-1902), English scholar and historian, was denied entrance into Cambridge University because of his Roman Catholicism; he traveled to Munich, where he studied with Fr. Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger.

In 1895, Acton was appointed Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University where he was known for his lectures, his writings for periodicals, and his personal contacts with the leading historians of the era. His impressive personal library - consisting of more than 59,000 volumes - was acquired by financier Andrew Carnegie and donated to Cambridge University. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Ayer Co Pub (June 1907)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836901355
• ISBN-13: 978-0836901351
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,758,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent example of late 19th century historiography, September 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: History of Freedom, and Other Essays (Hardcover)

Perhaps better known for the famous quote of how "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This work by Lord Acton is an excellent example of Europe's finest late 19th century political/historical intellectual. Acton's assertions are often dated due to the age within which he lived, but his perceptive views are worth investigating. Unfortunately Acton never wrote a single full volume of history. All that we have from Acton are compilations of his lectures, essays, and smaller works. The above such title being an example. The most interesting essay for American readers is Acton's essay on the American Revolution. A well read novice will be able to understand Acton's thesis, though his language can be somewhat difficult at times. The most fascinating aspect of this essay is Acton's assertion that America will degenerate into a "barbarous" nation unless America's black population is segregated to another country. Acton did not live long enough to see America's burgeoning civil rights movements, and was obliged to see America from the standpoint of post-Reconstruction America. The only reason I graded this work short of "10" is due to the language. Besides being fluent in five languages, Acton was an awe inspiring intellectual, and sometimes his prose reflects his intellectualism, thereyby sacrificing some readability. John R. Grac