Books by William Stearns Davis

Life On A Mediaeval Barony: A Picture Of A Typical Feudal Community In The Thirteenth CenturyThis book is a result of an effort made by us towards making a contribution to the preservation and repair of original classic literature.In an attempt to preserve, improve and recreate the original content, we have worked towards:1. Type-setting & Reformatting: The complete work has been re-designed via professional layout, formatting and type-setting tools to re-create the same edition with rich typography, graphics, high quality images, and table elements, giving our readers the feel of holding a 'fresh and newly' reprinted and/or revised edition, as opposed to other scanned & printed (Optical Character Recognition - OCR) reproductions.2. Correction of imperfections: As the work was re-created from the scratch, therefore, it was vetted to rectify certain conventional norms with regard to typographical mistakes, hyphenations, punctuations, blurred images, missing content/pages, and/or other related subject matters, upon our consideration. Every attempt was made to rectify the imperfections related to omitted constructs in the original edition via other references. However, a few of such imperfections which could not be rectified due to intentional\unintentional omission of content in the original edition, were inherited and preserved from the original work to maintain the authenticity and construct, relevant to the work.We believe that this work holds historical, cultural and/or intellectual importance in the literary works community, therefore despite the oddities, we accounted the work for print as a part of our continuing effort towards preservation of literary work and our contribution towards the development of the society as a whole, driven by our beliefs. We are grateful to our readers for putting their faith in us and accepting our imperfections with regard to preservation of the historical content. HAPPY READING!

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This book tries to describe what an intelligent person would have witnessed in ancient Athens if by some legerdemain he were translated to the fourth century B.C. and conducted about the city under competent guidance. The year 360 B.C. has been selected as the hypothetical time of this visit, not because of any special virtue in that date, but because Athens was then architecturally almost perfect, her civic and her social life seemed at their best, the democratic constitution held its vigor, and there were few outward signs of the general decadence which was to set in after the triumph of Macedon. At the time of original publication in 1925, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.

Historical fiction about the fall of Babylon. The author has not been unmindful that certain record tablets give a narrative of the capture of Babylon, in some points differing from the Bible account in the Book of Daniel. It is not improper to point out that the "Chronicle Tablets" were written with a political end to serve,--to soothe the feelings of the conquered Babylonians, by representing that Babylon surrendered voluntarily to Cyrus. This is hardly likely; but it is very probable that the city was taken by treachery among the priests and not by assault. At the time of original publication in 1902, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.

CONTENTSThe Fief of St. Aliquis; Its History and DenizensThe Castle of St. AliquisHow the Castle Wakes. Baronial HospitalityGames and Diversions. Falconry and Hunting. The Baroness's GardenThe Family of the Baron. Life of the WomenThe Matter of Clothes. A Feudal WeddingCookery and MealtimesThe Jongleurs and Secular Literature and PoetryThe Feudal Relationship. Doing HomageJustice and PunishmentsThe Education of a Feudal NoblemanFeudal Weapons and Horses. Dubbing a KnightThe TourneyA Baronial Feud. The Siege of a CastleA Great Feudal Battle-BouvinesThe Life of the PeasantsCharity. Care of the Sick. FuneralsPopular Religion. Pilgrimages. Superstitions. Relic WorshipThe Monastery of St. Aliquis: Buildings, Organization. An Ill-Ruled AbbeyThe Monastery of St. Aliquis: The Activities of Its Inmates. Monastic LearningThe "Good Town" of Pontdebois: Aspect and OrganizationIndustry and Trade in Pontdebois. The Great FairThe Lord Bishop. The Canons. The Parish ClergyThe Cathedral and Its Builders

"A really moving narrative, with figures of flesh and blood in it, and a broader vitality that touches the reader's imagination. The thing is astonishingly human... and as unaffectedly dramatic as though he had drawn his material from the modern world."--- The New York Tribune"The novel reproduces Greek life, and the events of the Persian invasion brilliantly and with correctness... Mr. Davis has even surpassed his previous efforts in highly imaginative work."--- Boston BudgetAt the time of original publication in 1907, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.

René, Chevalier de Massac, insists upon marrying Virginie Durand --though she is not of noble birth-- gives up his position at the court at Versailles, and throws himself heart and soul into the cause of the people. This book tells the eventful story of De Massac's part in the Revolution and the equally dangerous and courageous part played by his wife. De Massac, who is a friend of Danton and Robespierre, takes part in the capture of the Bastille, the storming of the Tuileries, and the battle of Wattignies, and with difficulty saves his own children from an attack by the peasants. The author's aim has been to picture life as it really was lived in and around Paris during the Revolution. He shows with historical truth the French Court with all its glitter and its rottenness, and the life of the people in the homes and streets of Paris and in the little villages outside. Many famous characters appear in the story --Louis XVI and his Queen, Danton, St. Just, Mirabeau, and Robespierre-- and the book is alive with the conflicting passions of the time. At the time of original publication in 1929, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.

A novel about the childhood of the man who became King of France and was later canonized.William Stearns Davis (1877-1930) was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota, and the author of a number of highly-accurate historical novels.

The author of this narrative was of course the well-known Boston merchant (founder of the State Street firm of Gilman, Slater and Peabody) who at the close of the Revolution did so much to solidify the commercial prosperity of Massachusetts. As is herein suggested he served through the War for Independence, rising to the rank of colonel, and if his ambitions had carried him into politics he might have advanced far. As it was he served three times in the State House of Representatives and twice in the State Senate. He was counted a very moderate member of the Jeffersonian Republicans, probably on account of his marriage and a natural sympathy with France, but he always retained the good will of the Federalists, and enjoyed the personal friendship of John Adams during that veteran statesman's long retirement at Quincy. During the later part of his life Colonel Gilman was a valued member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, and was also a very active deacon of the Old South Church. This story of his life during the years 1770-75 was apparently written during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, at the instigation of Colonel Gilman's gift daughter Deborah. It will be recalled that her husband was the distinguished jurist, Justice Peltiah Gridley of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and that her second son, General Roger Gridley, command a Union division in the Five Forks-Appomattox campaign and subsequently had a conspicuous part in the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. Colonel Gilman speaks frequently of the town of Bedford, which, it may be complained, cannot be found upon modern maps of Middlesex County. It is certain, however, that it cannot have been far from Lexington, Concord and Billerica, and indeed it may perhaps be identified with a town known at present under a slightly different name. In preparing this manuscript the editor has sometimes modernized the diction slightly, also he has omitted certain theological observations, which Colonel Gilman probably introduced for the benefit of his own family. Otherwise Roger Gilman is allowed to tell his own story, as a vivid reminder of "The times which tried men's souls." At the time of original publication in 1912, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.

This book describes life in the England of Queen Elizabeth in terms of the concrete. Perhaps no Boroughport or Hollydean Hall can be discovered on the maps of the 1550's, but there were scores of towns and hundreds of rich manors in which the things discussed in this study were wholly typical. The Hollydeans were not wiser, more cultivated or better than a great many contemporaries among the wealthier gentry; the episodes laid in Boroughport could be duplicated in almost any chartered town near the seaboard. At the time of original publication in 1930, William Stearns Davis was Professor of Ancient History, University of Minnesota.