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The Complete Harvard Classics Collection
( newly updated TOC )
The Harvard Universal Classics, originally known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, is a 51-volume anthology of classic works from world literature, compiled and edited by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot and first published in 1909.
Eliot had stated in speeches that the elements of a liberal education could be obtained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from a collection of books that could fit on a five-foot shelf. (Originally he had said a three-foot shelf.) The publisher P. F. Collier and Son saw an opportunity and challenged Eliot to make good on this statement by selecting an appropriate collection of works, and the Harvard Classics was the result.
Eliot worked for one year with William A. Neilson, a professor of English; Eliot determined the works to be included and Neilson selected the specific editions and wrote introductory notes. Each volume had 400–450 pages, and the included texts are "so far as possible, entire works or complete segments of the world's written legacies." The collection was widely advertised by Collier and Son, in Collier's and elsewhere, with great success.
Eight years later Eliot added a further 20 volumes as a sub-collection titled 'The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction', offering some of the greatest novels and short stories of world literature. The exhaustive anthology of the 'The Harvard Classics' comprises every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject up to the twentieth century.
The Harvard Universal Classics, originally known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, is a 51-volume anthology of classic works from world literature, compiled and edited by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot and first published in 1909.
Eliot had stated in speeches that the elements of a liberal education could be obtained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from a collection of books that could fit on a five-foot shelf. (Originally he had said a three-foot shelf.) The publisher P. F. Collier and Son saw an opportunity and challenged Eliot to make good on this statement by selecting an appropriate collection of works, and the Harvard Classics was the result.
Eliot worked for one year with William A. Neilson, a professor of English; Eliot determined the works to be included and Neilson selected the specific editions and wrote introductory notes. Each volume had 400–450 pages, and the included texts are "so far as possible, entire works or complete segments of the world's written legacies." The collection was widely advertised by Collier and Son, in Collier's and elsewhere, with great success.
Eight years later Eliot added a further 20 volumes as a sub-collection titled 'The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction', offering some of the greatest novels and short stories of world literature. The exhaustive anthology of the 'The Harvard Classics' comprises every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject up to the twentieth century.
40337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 1722
10074 people are currently reading
3335 people want to read
About the author
Charles William Eliot
429 books82 followersCharles William Eliot was an American academic who was selected as Harvard's president in 1869. He transformed the provincial college into the preeminent American research university. Eliot served the longest term as president in the university's history.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Currently reading
May 6, 2019I'm going to be reading this for a long long time, so I'll update as I go.
1) Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Reread. I wish he'd finished it, it's great, and was as delightful to read again as it was the first time. I get the feeling that if he'd finished it I would understand and feel more sympathetic towards the US Revolution. Lovely, even in unfinished form.
2) Journal of John Woolman. Well, I'd never have picked this up, so this compilation justifies itself already. A Quaker who decided that slavery was wrong and went around telling people so, very earnest and sincere and full of moral courage and slightly odd opinions-- he was also against dye in clothes -- and convinced Quakers to quit practicing and endorsing and profiting by slavery, because it was wrong. Who says people can't make a difference? Not exactly a fun read, but I'm glad I have read it.
N.B. I'm going to be reading this essentially forever. That's OK, but I'm still no more than 1% of the way through.
3) William Penn The Fruits of Solitude. Well, that was a yawnfest of proverbs. Glad to be done with that.
4) Plato, Apology. I have read it a million times and this is not an exciting translation. Skipping.
5) Plato, Crito. I practically know it by heart. Skipping.
6) Plato, Phaedo. I absolutely agee with the inclusion of these, though actually I might have put the Phaedrus and the Symposium instead of the Crito and the Phaedo if anyone had asked me. But still skipping.
7) Epictetus, The Golden Sayings.
8) The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
1) Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Reread. I wish he'd finished it, it's great, and was as delightful to read again as it was the first time. I get the feeling that if he'd finished it I would understand and feel more sympathetic towards the US Revolution. Lovely, even in unfinished form.
2) Journal of John Woolman. Well, I'd never have picked this up, so this compilation justifies itself already. A Quaker who decided that slavery was wrong and went around telling people so, very earnest and sincere and full of moral courage and slightly odd opinions-- he was also against dye in clothes -- and convinced Quakers to quit practicing and endorsing and profiting by slavery, because it was wrong. Who says people can't make a difference? Not exactly a fun read, but I'm glad I have read it.
N.B. I'm going to be reading this essentially forever. That's OK, but I'm still no more than 1% of the way through.
3) William Penn The Fruits of Solitude. Well, that was a yawnfest of proverbs. Glad to be done with that.
4) Plato, Apology. I have read it a million times and this is not an exciting translation. Skipping.
5) Plato, Crito. I practically know it by heart. Skipping.
6) Plato, Phaedo. I absolutely agee with the inclusion of these, though actually I might have put the Phaedrus and the Symposium instead of the Crito and the Phaedo if anyone had asked me. But still skipping.
7) Epictetus, The Golden Sayings.
8) The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
January 5, 2021
Sweet Baby Jesus...
I actually finished this behemoth!!!
It will take me a year to decompress after this.
This endeavor was more grueling than when I tried to swim across Lake Erie from Cleveland to Canada when I was 17. That damn near killed me, but it was over sooner!
In the meantime, now probably could figure out how to end hunger and have world peace.
Yeah, if only.
I actually finished this behemoth!!!
It will take me a year to decompress after this.
This endeavor was more grueling than when I tried to swim across Lake Erie from Cleveland to Canada when I was 17. That damn near killed me, but it was over sooner!
In the meantime, now probably could figure out how to end hunger and have world peace.
Yeah, if only.
August 29, 2021
I saw this at Delphi publishing site about the Harvard Classic offering and has to have it, though I am not quite sure how many books I will read before I die but as I read at my convince and definitely not in order. I just have to mention after watching a "Waltons" tv episode earlier this year where John Boy wants to buy the whole Harvard Classic Collection of books with his mother's help. I had recently seen that this edition would be coming out before seeing the show but the show cliched it for me. The Walton paid dearly for them but today electronically, it is very inexpensive.
My reviews are listed under the title of the book but I will read from here and highlight/ take notes. Great navigation in this Kindle version!
My reviews are listed under the title of the book but I will read from here and highlight/ take notes. Great navigation in this Kindle version!
Currently reading
December 18, 2025As this is a collection of 71 different works (which will take me a VERY long time to read), I've decided to update this review as I work my way through the collection.
1. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" - Recommended! Quite an interesting read.
2. "The Journal" by John Woolman - A first-hand view of life in colonial America in the mid-1700s by a Quaker who traveled extensively through his adult life. Woolman's journal focuses largely on his own walk of faith and how it intersected with topics including civil government and, primarily, the use and abuse of slave and poor labor in his time. A worthy read.
3. "Fruits of Solitude" by William Penn - A collection of brief, typically single-sentence statements, grouped by topics such as "The Wise Man," Of Ambition," "Of State," and "Of Charity." Many of these will reinforce the thoughts of a reader of moral character, and surprisingly few are outdated. Worth reviewing.
4. "The Apology (of Socrates)" by Plato - A fictional account of Socrates' defense in 399BC against charges of "corrupting the youth" and "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes." Though the text provides sufficient information for a reader to build a reasonable picture of what is happening in the trial, it probably would be of benefit to scan the related Wikipedia article [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apology...] before reading "The Apology." (Alas, this reader did not.) While the account of the trial and Socrates' defense may not be of particular interest to a reader, the use of logic and interrogation within that defense are instructive. Worth reading.
5. "Crito" by Plato - An account of Crito's plea to Socrates to allow Crito and others to facilitate Socrates' escape from prison and his impending execution. Good reading for the Socratic logic and his commitment as a citizen to leave himself subject to the laws and judgments of the government to which he has committed himself throughout his life, even when those judgments are flawed, as was the case in his death sentence.
6. "Phaedo" by Plato - A Socratic dialogue concerning the immortality of the soul. An interesting, if lengthy and flawed, discussion between Socrates and others just prior to his suicide by poison to avoid execution. 2 stars.
7. "The Golden Sayings," by Epictetus - Many sayings regarding character, self-improvement, personal philosophies, and social interactions. Perhaps one of the more famous & pertinent quotes is, "No man is free who is not master of himself." 3 stars
8. "The Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius - In progress.
1. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" - Recommended! Quite an interesting read.
2. "The Journal" by John Woolman - A first-hand view of life in colonial America in the mid-1700s by a Quaker who traveled extensively through his adult life. Woolman's journal focuses largely on his own walk of faith and how it intersected with topics including civil government and, primarily, the use and abuse of slave and poor labor in his time. A worthy read.
3. "Fruits of Solitude" by William Penn - A collection of brief, typically single-sentence statements, grouped by topics such as "The Wise Man," Of Ambition," "Of State," and "Of Charity." Many of these will reinforce the thoughts of a reader of moral character, and surprisingly few are outdated. Worth reviewing.
4. "The Apology (of Socrates)" by Plato - A fictional account of Socrates' defense in 399BC against charges of "corrupting the youth" and "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes." Though the text provides sufficient information for a reader to build a reasonable picture of what is happening in the trial, it probably would be of benefit to scan the related Wikipedia article [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apology...] before reading "The Apology." (Alas, this reader did not.) While the account of the trial and Socrates' defense may not be of particular interest to a reader, the use of logic and interrogation within that defense are instructive. Worth reading.
5. "Crito" by Plato - An account of Crito's plea to Socrates to allow Crito and others to facilitate Socrates' escape from prison and his impending execution. Good reading for the Socratic logic and his commitment as a citizen to leave himself subject to the laws and judgments of the government to which he has committed himself throughout his life, even when those judgments are flawed, as was the case in his death sentence.
6. "Phaedo" by Plato - A Socratic dialogue concerning the immortality of the soul. An interesting, if lengthy and flawed, discussion between Socrates and others just prior to his suicide by poison to avoid execution. 2 stars.
7. "The Golden Sayings," by Epictetus - Many sayings regarding character, self-improvement, personal philosophies, and social interactions. Perhaps one of the more famous & pertinent quotes is, "No man is free who is not master of himself." 3 stars
8. "The Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius - In progress.
September 8, 2021
I owned the hard-cover collection and carted them around the US for 40+ years. The ebook version is so much more manageable.
October 28, 2021
So I rated this five stars (^^ see?) not in respect to the content since I haven't read the entire thing - it's like 38,000 pages - but just the value. You can get a huge amount of some of literature's greatest works for $1.99? Insane.
Read
August 1, 2022Completed: Volume 1:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (also called "His Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin") - 5/5
The Journal of John Woolman - 4/5
Some Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims by William Penn - 4/5
Volume 2:
The Apology, Phaedo, and Crito by Plato - 4/5
The Golden Sayings by Epictetus - 4/5
The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - 4/5
The Harvard Classics Shelf of Finction:
Vol 11: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James - 3.5/5
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (also called "His Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin") - 5/5
The Journal of John Woolman - 4/5
Some Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims by William Penn - 4/5
Volume 2:
The Apology, Phaedo, and Crito by Plato - 4/5
The Golden Sayings by Epictetus - 4/5
The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - 4/5
The Harvard Classics Shelf of Finction:
Vol 11: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James - 3.5/5
November 15, 2020
Good reproduction
I added this to my Kindle library, not certain of the reproduction quality. I was looking for something else so I don’t plan to start reading till I’m done reading what I was looking for. I did check the quality of the reproduction and am pleased to report, so far so good.
I added this to my Kindle library, not certain of the reproduction quality. I was looking for something else so I don’t plan to start reading till I’m done reading what I was looking for. I did check the quality of the reproduction and am pleased to report, so far so good.
January 5, 2025
This version of The Complete Harvard Classics (Kindle Edition), did not work on my fairly new Kindle Paperwhite. It caused the Kindle to malfunction, would not keep the page I read to, prevented my Kindle from turning off, was VERY slow, often did not turn pages, went to white blank screen often, and other bizarre occurrences. I thought my Kindle was the problem, but all other books on it work fine. No matter what I did: restart, charge, trouble shoot, etc. these problems persisted. I have tried to search which version of this book works best on Kindle, and find this version highly recommended. Not so for me!! This is the only forum I found to warn future purchasers. I’ll try another version, hope that works. Regards
Want to read
December 13, 2024So one can get the complete Harvard Classics set on Kindle for 99 cents.
Am I reading this ??? Unlikely will complete this but feel like I want to put it on my currently reading list to remind me. Note some 30 plus years ago I bought a set in a Cambridge bookstore for 100 bucks and it has been collecting dust....
If I make any progress I will update here.
One can also get a kindle edition of the great books of the western world Part 1 and 2 for a total of 6 bucks. Wild .....
Am I reading this ??? Unlikely will complete this but feel like I want to put it on my currently reading list to remind me. Note some 30 plus years ago I bought a set in a Cambridge bookstore for 100 bucks and it has been collecting dust....
If I make any progress I will update here.
One can also get a kindle edition of the great books of the western world Part 1 and 2 for a total of 6 bucks. Wild .....
December 20, 2020
Good compilation of must read texts.
Read
December 17, 2021Didn't read.
October 30, 2024
Probably didn't finish 37000 pages but I've finished many.
May 28, 2025
Worth the two years of reading
From Ancient Greece to mid 1800s the literature
that western civilization is based upon. Happy reading. Worth the time and the effort
From Ancient Greece to mid 1800s the literature
that western civilization is based upon. Happy reading. Worth the time and the effort
Want to read
November 3, 2025Kindle
September 29, 2024
Too many typos! Needs better editing.
Got rid of it on my iPad.
Got rid of it on my iPad.
September 15, 2025
Stunning collection available at your fingertips
This collection could keep me occupied for more than a decade.
When I'm looking for something else to read I can always find something new in here.
I am a big fan of western civilization and this is a wonderful, curated source of learning, complete with scholarly commentary.
I gave it a 4 instead of 5 star because I believe that many of the original texts would have images pictures maps and these volumes are all text, hardly any graphics.
This collection could keep me occupied for more than a decade.
When I'm looking for something else to read I can always find something new in here.
I am a big fan of western civilization and this is a wonderful, curated source of learning, complete with scholarly commentary.
I gave it a 4 instead of 5 star because I believe that many of the original texts would have images pictures maps and these volumes are all text, hardly any graphics.
December 2, 2018
Rating for Franklin’s Autobiography
Benjamin Franklin was a wise man. His story of self-improvement and his ideas which he put into action are as relevant today as they were two centuries plus ago.
Benjamin Franklin was a wise man. His story of self-improvement and his ideas which he put into action are as relevant today as they were two centuries plus ago.
September 1, 2020
This is not something you read through; it is to be browsed over time. I have a hardbound set for nearly 50 years so I've read most of it. Got the Kindle set just to have for browsing too whenever I am out and about.
January 9, 2025
corrupted text in this 2022 edition
A joking editor substituted crass language in place of the original text in volume 8 “nine Greek dramas” in the last story called “the frogs”. Otherwise it is an excellent series.
A joking editor substituted crass language in place of the original text in volume 8 “nine Greek dramas” in the last story called “the frogs”. Otherwise it is an excellent series.
November 7, 2019
No table of contents
I can't find any table of contents, so it is almost impossible to find anything in this book. If there's one it needs to be at the beginning.
I can't find any table of contents, so it is almost impossible to find anything in this book. If there's one it needs to be at the beginning.
March 19, 2020
The title... That's pretty much my review
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews