Sir Walter Ralegh: The History of the World

One of the most popular works of the seventeenth century and the principal labour of the period's most widely venerated hero. Mindful of the importance of Ralegh's context, the editor has preserved the unity of the original work by retaining the titles of all chapters.

The reprinted sections include the celebrated Preface, 'the culminating document of Renaissance historiography in England'; the opening chapters, which are the best single collection of the age's most sacrosanct verities; and representative selections from all the books of the History, including Ralegh's major 'digressions' and his account of the rise of nations, the battle of Salamis, the death of Epaminondas, and the entire chapter on Alexander the Great.

The introduction outlines Ralegh's activities and evaluates his History in the light of Renaissance historiography.