English Biography (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from English Biography<br><br>In harmony with the common purpose of the other volumes which belong to this series, I have made an attempt to trace the genesis and evolution of English biography, and to furnish those who may care to devote themselves to a further study of the subject with sufficient materials in the way of references to sources to enable them to make at least a beginning toward the accomplishment of their desire. I believe I am right in saying that this is the first book in the English language devoted to a careful and somewhat exhaustive study of the subject. So far as I know, it is the first of its kind in any language. Beyond brief articles in encyclopedias and magazines, reviews of biographies in periodicals, and a few short treatises, the great subject of biography has remained untouched.<br><br>No one can be more conscious than myself of the limitations of the discussion herewith presented. I feel that I have made only a beginning in a work that is sure to be continued. Biography as an Art; Biography as Literature; Biography in its Relations to History, Fiction, Psychology, and Medical Science; The Use of Letters in Biography - all these subjects, and more besides, will someday be adequately treated. They can be only hinted at, or touched upon briefly, in a book of this kind. Yet, again, the whole question of a bibliography of biography remains. The lists herewith given in the appendix are not meant to be complete; they but illustrate certain portions of the main text, and are intended to be only suggestive.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.