Four Parallel Lives of Eight Notable Individuals

Biography & Memoir, Historical
Cover of the book Four Parallel Lives of Eight Notable Individuals by Stephan Politzer, Stephan Politzer
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephan Politzer ISBN: 9781458089908
Publisher: Stephan Politzer Publication: June 20, 2011
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Stephan Politzer
ISBN: 9781458089908
Publisher: Stephan Politzer
Publication: June 20, 2011
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

The parallel lives of Edward I and Andrew Jackson, William Wallace and Osceola, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln and Alexander II of Russia are inaugural essays in what will be a series of essays paralleling the lives of significant people. The major inspiration for this project is Plutarch’s Lives, also known as Parallel Lives, written in Greek around 100 C.E. Its surviving text consists of twenty-three paired Greek and Roman biographies, plus four unpaired lives. Mestrius Plutarchus (45-125 C.E.), Priest of the Delphic Oracle, wrote his Lives of famous Greeks and Romans initially for an educated lay audience, an elite in his time. His short biographies represent both popular history and moral instruction. Plutarch’s style is consistent throughout: Short histories of two famous personages (generally a Greek and a Roman) and then their lives compared. The comparison is in essence a moral lesson. Plutarch was interested in how the characters of great men (not women) influenced their actions and played on the destinies of civilizations. Our intent is similar to Plutarch’s (our future parallel lives will include women) but our approach is considerably different. Since, unlike in Plutarch’s time, capsule biographies are readily available in any number of easily obtained publications and on the Internet, we eschew them and launch directly into parallel comparisons of our subjects’ lives. We share with Plutarch the desire to write for an educated lay audience but for one that is far more expansive than it was in Plutarch’s time. To this end, we have attempted to keep our writing style conversational and to use only those references that can be found readily in public libraries, bookstores and on the Internet. We have not and will not delve into special collections and other closed or reserved sources. The bulk of our sources have come from the Internet. Anyone can check our sources either at their local public library or on the Internet, papyrus of the twenty-first century. In this regard, we must make a small comment on notation. Since Wikipedia is commonly known to be online, we will not cite it as so when referencing it in the four essays.

Like Plutarch, we are not strictly writing either history or biography. We are writing “moral lessons” in the broadest sense of the expression. Our lessons more than Plutarch’s are open-ended.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The parallel lives of Edward I and Andrew Jackson, William Wallace and Osceola, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln and Alexander II of Russia are inaugural essays in what will be a series of essays paralleling the lives of significant people. The major inspiration for this project is Plutarch’s Lives, also known as Parallel Lives, written in Greek around 100 C.E. Its surviving text consists of twenty-three paired Greek and Roman biographies, plus four unpaired lives. Mestrius Plutarchus (45-125 C.E.), Priest of the Delphic Oracle, wrote his Lives of famous Greeks and Romans initially for an educated lay audience, an elite in his time. His short biographies represent both popular history and moral instruction. Plutarch’s style is consistent throughout: Short histories of two famous personages (generally a Greek and a Roman) and then their lives compared. The comparison is in essence a moral lesson. Plutarch was interested in how the characters of great men (not women) influenced their actions and played on the destinies of civilizations. Our intent is similar to Plutarch’s (our future parallel lives will include women) but our approach is considerably different. Since, unlike in Plutarch’s time, capsule biographies are readily available in any number of easily obtained publications and on the Internet, we eschew them and launch directly into parallel comparisons of our subjects’ lives. We share with Plutarch the desire to write for an educated lay audience but for one that is far more expansive than it was in Plutarch’s time. To this end, we have attempted to keep our writing style conversational and to use only those references that can be found readily in public libraries, bookstores and on the Internet. We have not and will not delve into special collections and other closed or reserved sources. The bulk of our sources have come from the Internet. Anyone can check our sources either at their local public library or on the Internet, papyrus of the twenty-first century. In this regard, we must make a small comment on notation. Since Wikipedia is commonly known to be online, we will not cite it as so when referencing it in the four essays.

Like Plutarch, we are not strictly writing either history or biography. We are writing “moral lessons” in the broadest sense of the expression. Our lessons more than Plutarch’s are open-ended.

More books from Historical

Cover of the book Dans les Cuisines de l'Histoire - Tome 2 - A la table du Roi-Soleil by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Love Amid the Ashes ( Book #1) by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Stone: John 8 by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Wellspring by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book The Bloody Black Flag by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book The Voice by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Naamah's Blessing by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book The Last of All Possible Worlds and The Temptation to Do Good by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Royal Mary by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Around the River's Bend (Spirit of Appalachia Book #5) by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book The Curse of Koshiu by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Legends: Arrephori by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Dragons in Shallow Waters by Stephan Politzer
Cover of the book Abondance by Stephan Politzer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy