The Romantic Era of Europe: Europe

Author: Time-Life Books, Inc. / Liu Sheng / Cao Yilu / Ding Haibin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Whispers fly in the southwest of England, in the county of Somerset, about strange people appearing near the town of Alfoxton in the vicinity of Hertford. The townspeople watch their activities with unease. These intruders are two men and one woman, who spend most of their time moving about the countryside day and night, regardless of weather, recording something and asking every resident they encounter about various local conditions. At the time of the Anglo-French War, the townspeople naturally suspected these unusual strangers might be enemy intelligence agents. When these suspicions drew the attention of the authorities, James Wordsworth was sent as an official investigator to the area to investigate the matter. However, Wordsworth discovered that the "troublesome malcontents" of Alfoxton were not French spies but the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth along with his sister, Dorothy. Although they were not engaged in conspiracies for a foreign country, the two poets were about to showcase a unique form of subversive activity by publishing a bold and revolutionary poetry collection titled Lyrical Ballads. This collection marked the beginning of a new era, which we now call the Romantic Era. The Romantic Era of Europe is one of the world history series Living in Distant Times published by Time-Life Books for you. This volume describes this intriguing anecdote drawn from the lives of Coleridge and Wordsworth, along with many other fascinating stories of men and women living in 18th and 19th-century Europe. The book traces the footsteps of those who pioneered new paths in society, literature, music, and art, from Napoleon and Shelley, Beethoven and Blake to Madame de Sta?l, the advocate of French Romanticism. These charming stories of challenges and rebellions against feudal strongholds and moral conventions are drawn from contemporary memoirs, letters, and historical documents. The book is interspersed with rich illustrations, allowing readers to truly feel the tense atmosphere surrounding these legendary events and figures of that era. Paintings, watercolors, and sketches themed around Napoleon's campaign in Egypt, Shelley writing at the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Byron dressed in Albanian attire, and scenes of peasant dances, children at play, and gymnasts practicing provide a realistic and comprehensive picture of life during the Romantic Era. The works of other renowned artists, along with their masterpieces, also give readers a glimpse into the inner life of the Romantic period. The settings provided by handicrafts, including the fine wrought-iron furniture of the Empire period in France, further enhance the scenes. To compile this series, the colleagues of Time-Life Company thoroughly explored the collections of scholars, travelers, museums, and universities. They not only provided each book with rich illustrations of artworks and handicrafts to vividly recreate the lost way of life but also drew various maps, city plans, and reconstructions of buildings to recreate the entire world in which the stories took place. The opening overview is a profound historical essay accompanied by a chronology, giving readers a clear picture of the era in question. The narrative is designed to be engaging and unconventional. Every detail, image, anecdote, and historical fact will refresh your perspective—allowing you to experience what life was like in those distant times.