Historical Sketches, Vol. 1: The Turks in Their Relation to Europe; Marcus Tullius Cicero; Apollonius of Tyana; Primitive Christianity

by John Henry Newman

Historical Sketches: Volume One is the work of John Henry Cardinal Newman, a collection of essays on historical topics written by Newman himself, a well known religious figure and a man who was beatified in 2010. This publication of Volume One includes sections on The Turks and their relations with Europe, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Apollonius of Tyana, and primitive Christianity.

Cardinal Newman's book of historical essays is formatted in a relatively straightforward style. Each section of the book features a brief introduction, followed by a series of essays on the selected topic. The most space in this collection is devoted to the author's works on the history of the Turks and their relationships with other European nations. This section is subdivided into four chapters, focusing on the nation of Turkey, the descent of the Turks, the military conquests of the Turks, and the future prospects of the Turks. While the other topics in this collection are all given a thorough treatment, this section is the standout in Volume One.

John Henry Newman has put together an interesting book of history that successfully provides the reader with essays on a cross section of different topics. While it is a unique choice to group these works into one collection when they are ostensibly unrelated, the resulting book is nothing if not an entertaining read. This is not an exhaustive history of any of the subjects discussed, but rather an analysis of various influential historical figures and peoples.

Historical Sketches: Volume One will appeal to anybody that considers themselves a fan of history writing. While better known as a religious figure, John Henry Cardinal Newman was also an accomplished author, and one whose work deserves to be read.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

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.

478 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman was an important figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century. He was known nationally by the mid-1830s.
Originally an evangelical Oxford University academic and priest in the Church of England, Newman then became drawn to the high-church tradition of Anglicanism. He became known as a leader of, and an able polemicist for, the Oxford Movement, an influential and controversial grouping of Anglicans who wished to return to the Church of England many Catholic beliefs and liturgical rituals from before the English Reformation. In this the movement had some success. However, in 1845 Newman, joined by some but not all of his followers, left the Church of England and his teaching post at Oxford University and was received into the Catholic Church. He was quickly ordained as a priest and continued as an influential religious leader, based in Birmingham. In 1879, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his services to the cause of the Catholic Church in England. He was instrumental in the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland, which evolved into University College Dublin, today the largest university in Ireland.

Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 September 2010 during his visit to the United Kingdom. He was then canonised by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019.

Newman was also a literary figure of note: his major writings including the Tracts for the Times (1833–1841), his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua (1865–66), the Grammar of Assent (1870), and the poem The Dream of Gerontius (1865),[6] which was set to music in 1900 by Edward Elgar. He wrote the popular hymns "Lead, Kindly Light" and "Praise to the Holiest in the Height" (taken from Gerontius).