This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
i came across this while searching for something else, and give Oxford is where i live these days, i thought it looked interesting enough to warrant a read. and.....i suppose it is, given appropriate expectations.
it was apparently published in or around 1910. the style is rather breathless and gushing, and archaic even given its age. its historical descriptions are entertaining (and, i thought, vaguely reminiscent of modern history programmes), and it's fun to compare Edwardian Oxford with the present day. yeah.
I chose this book looking to develop a better understanding of the history and people of Oxford. I have gotten some of the history, but in a book so given to architectural descriptions and devoid any supporting illustrations it becomes tedious.
If you thought this was a dictionary, you misread the title. Reading through this book, you can feel the emotions of the author as he expounds on the various sights, sounds, and experiences of the historical town of Oxford, England. The phrasing feels a bit of unless you are familiar with the patterns of Victorian English. Many passages deserve to be read aloud, very loud!
This book is part of a series of beautifully illustrated volumes of "some of our fairest places" in England and Scotland. Each book contains 12 reproductions of original water-colour paintings by E.W. Haslehurst in addition to descriptive text.
These are charming little books, printed around the turn of the 20th century, exquisite little gems.