The English Historical Library: In Three Parts. Giving A Short View And Character Of Most Of Our Historians Either In Print Or Manuscript: With An . Undertakers Of A General History Of England

Before the great national histories of England were written, William Nicolson set himself a different task: to chart the very ground on which they must stand. The English Historical Library is his sweeping survey of the chronicles, records, law-books, coins, manuscripts and antiquarian labours that underpin English history. Every page rewards patient reading. Moving from medieval annalists to early modern scholars, Nicolson offers a clear, often candid character of each writer, building an unparalleled bibliography of English historians and a practical guide to the best sources for English history, from royal archives to local charters and english coins and manuscripts. As a window into the historiography of England and early modern England history, this is both a foundational research tool for historians and a clear reference for history students who want to see how the past was first organised and criticised. Standing alongside the classic English antiquarian works of William Camden and his successors, it illuminates British historical records with practical commentary rooted in British antiquarian scholarship of its age, and for readers of William Camden and other early scholars it offers an informed path into the sources for English history. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint -- a collector's item and a cultural treasure, perfect for readers seeking a lasting english history reference, a reliable british historical records guide, or a richly contextual aid to serious work with sources for English history.