Project Gutenberg 1996-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 27137 Swift, Jonathan 1667 1745 Swift, J. (Jonathan) Morley, Henry 1822 1894 The Battle of the Books, and other Short Pieces Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_Books Transcribed from the 1886 Cassell & Company edition by David Price "The Battle of the Books" by Jonathan Swift is a satirical work composed in the late 17th century. It addresses the contemporary debate over the merits of ancient versus modern authors, presenting it through an imaginative lens that pits the two factions against each other in a literal battle of books. The essay captures the intellectual climate of Swift's time, with lively references to historical figures and literary works, creating a vibrant narrative that is both humorous and thought-provoking. At the start of the text, readers are introduced to the background of Jonathan Swift, his early life, and the context in which he wrote this piece. The opening portion outlines Swift's humble beginnings and his relationships, especially with a young girl named Esther, who would become significant to his life. The narrative develops the premise of a debate between the Ancients and the Moderns, set in the King's Library, where anthropomorphized books prepare for conflict. Key characters are introduced, including notable authors and philosophers, as tensions rise over literary supremacy, setting the stage for Swift's blend of satire, commentary on literary criticism, and exploration of themes such as knowledge, intellectual pride, and the nature of literary value. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 63.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en English essays Satire, English Ancients and moderns, Quarrel of PR Text Category: Humour Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature 272371 2025-07-01T06:05:03.679735 text/html 270861 2010-09-03T17:20:11 text/html 103266 2010-09-03T17:20:20 text/html application/zip 188147 2025-07-01T06:05:10.652700 application/epub+zip 189279 2025-07-01T06:05:06.627950 application/epub+zip 178052 2025-07-01T06:05:05.468690 application/epub+zip 398815 2025-07-01T06:05:13.499636 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 370960 2025-07-01T06:05:09.883682 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 335203 2022-09-01T06:45:25.146305 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 252357 2025-07-01T06:05:03.159714 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 252079 2010-09-03T17:20:20 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 100201 2010-09-03T17:20:20 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19591 2025-07-01T06:05:13.792708 application/rdf+xml 19299 2025-07-01T06:05:05.966672 image/jpeg 4364 2025-07-01T06:05:05.715668 image/jpeg 183791 2025-07-01T06:05:03.702745 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia