Primary Source E-Books for All!

For historians and historical novelists alike, a major part of the creative process is research. Primary sources in particular are a very important part of that and give a direct voice to the age about which you are writing.

Previously, primary sources were not always easy to find as the big retailers stocked only the major sellers of the Penguin Classics series such as Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul or Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander. Few commercial retailers stocked a wide variety of the Loeb Classical library and when they did, the prices were often too high.

With the advent of e-books and large scale digitization projects, that has changed.

One of the best discoveries I have made on-line is the website for Project Gutenberg. The project was founded by Michael Hart who was dealing with e-books long before anyone had heard of such a thing. He stated the mission of Project Gutenberg as follows:  “To encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks.”

It’s simple and straightforward and anyone can contribute. It’s also one amazing resource that makes research easy. Loads of primary sources, especially ancient and medieval texts, are now accessible in digital format.

I found it when I was in need of some of Cassius Dio's books for research for my Eagles and Dragons series. Once I got onto the site, I started searching for other ancient texts that I had always wanted but either couldn’t find or justify the expense of purchasing elsewhere.

It was like a candy store for historians. So, I plugged in my Kindle and started downloading Xenophon, Herodotus, Plato, Virgil, Apollonius of Rhodes, Aristotle, Homer, Cassius Dio and others. And it’s all stored on my e-reader.

The Arthurian enthusiast in me is also happy to see the romances of Chrétien de Troyes on there, as well as such important ‘Dark Age’ sources as Nennius, Gildas and Aneirin.

My impression before was that Project Gutenberg was just for historical texts but there has been a new development.

The site has launched a new Self-Publishing Portal to facilitate on-line publishing by contemporary authors. This is all about free access.

There is a trend now among many authors to make their work, especially the first book in a series, available for free. Project Gutenberg is one place where you can do that. Check out the Self-Publishing Portal HERE. 

There are of course other websites where you can access ancient texts. The Perseus Digital Library of Tufts University is one such resource. However, for Project Gutenberg, I like how easy it is to download files for your e-reader, especially a mobi version for Kindle. Check out the site HERE and see what you can find.

The internet has so much on it now it can be quiet overwhelming for someone doing research and there is the added caveat that you must scrutinize whatever it is you are looking at closely for accuracy in translation.

Despite that, we are far better off than we were when it comes to access to ancient and medieval primary sources. The past is literally at our fingertips now and that, without a doubt, is a very good thing indeed.

If you have any other recommended sites you would like to share, please do so in the comments box below. 

Reconciling History and E-Reading

Real Books

What do you prefer? A solid book with a nicely used cover binding beautifully textured paper or a sleek, small and highly portable e-reader that can go with you anywhere and allow you to carry all your to-be-read books in the same place?

When e-readers first came out I thought ‘No way! No character in an e-reader, no enjoyment. I’m sticking with books.’ I couldn’t imagine not turning a page or feeling that comforting bulk in the palm of my hand. I’d stand on the subway cradling massive, thousand-page books in my arms, getting angry whenever someone would lean into me because the car was getting too full.

 But then, last spring I received an Amazon Kindle Touch for my birthday. It was a total game-changer for me, the writer/historian who shunned this bit of new technology.

Over the past several months I have been carrying my Kindle everywhere I can. No more awkward page turns on my morning commute in the subway sardine can. Just a quick TAP and I’m on the next page.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t dumped all my books. In fact, I have seven large book cases of dusty tomes I am loath to part with. I am, however, reconsidering my purchases and, when it comes to fiction, opting for e-books for several reasons.

Apart from it being a space-saving option, e-books are far and away better for the environment. It seems to me, and this is my own perception, that environmentalism was going strong in the early nineties but then toward 2000 took a nosedive. Thankfully, there seems to be a resurgence, perhaps due to the urgency of the situation globally but also the availability of new technologies. The message gets out more in the media and, let’s face it, paper seems passé.  

I’m not preaching. In fact, I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to poor environmental choices, though I do try.

Amazon Kindle Touch

There are many things we can do to improve and every little helps. So, for fiction books that I am likely to read once, I always opt for the electronic version. When I publish my own work, I always make it available electronically on as many devices as possible. The Eagles and Dragons series is available in print as well but it is printed on demand, no extra paper used that is just going to collect dust.

However, I still prefer full-colour reference books in the traditional format because it is easier to look at and see maps. I can only stare at a screen for so long and despite what companies say, reading for a long period of time on a back-lit screen is terrible for your eyes. I don’t like to read on a computer screen.

If you are still not sure about the whole e-reader thing, a lot of public libraries are now lending e-readers. Why not head on down to your local library, check one out and see if you like it before investing the $100 dollars or so in one?

There are so many places that you can get a wide variety of e-books as well, including the major retailers like Amazon, iTunes, Sony, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. If indie books are your thing, you’ll definitely want to check out Untreed Reads, Smashwords and the numerous other independent, on-line retailers whose lists are growing every day.

If you are still new to the whole world of e-readers but want to learn a bit more about the different models, start by checking out the following article. 

Before I started reading on my Kindle, I thought that it would just be too weird to be reading historical fiction and fantasy on an e-reader. What about that time-honoured tradition of cracking open a book for the first time, of turning those delicate pages every couple minutes, the smell, the feel, the weight etc. etc.?

You know what? If you are reading a really good story, it doesn’t matter if you are reading it on regular paper or an e-ink screen. Good storytelling will transport you back in time, to another place, and all else about you will simply melt away.

What do you prefer when it comes to reading? Let us know in the Comments box below.