Thomas Carlyle

Easton Press Thomas Carlyle books

The French Revolution - A History - Library of Famous Editions  - 1984

The French Revolution - A History (3 volume set) 2008 including the following titles:
The Constitution
The Bastille
The Guillotine

John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle - Harvard Classics

 

Thomas Carlyle biography

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian, satirical writer, and lecturer who played a significant role in the Victorian literary and intellectual scene. Born on December 4, 1795, in Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Carlyle was raised in a strict Calvinist household, an upbringing that influenced his later works and ideas. Carlyle began his academic journey at the University of Edinburgh, studying mathematics, but he soon shifted his focus to literature. After completing his studies, he worked as a teacher and a private tutor, which provided him with the time and intellectual space to pursue his literary interests.

As a prophet and preacher, Carlyle was an important and controversial figure in nineteenth-century thought. Carlyle is best known for his impressionistic history of the French Revolution and for his essays proclaiming the virtues of strong, heroic leadership. But for his contemporaries Carlyle's was also a prophetic voice. John Stuart Mill, a formidable political adversary, acknowledged that Carlyle 'saw things long before me', while for Charles Dickens he was simply 'the man who knows everything'.

One of Carlyle's early successes was the publication of his translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship in 1824. This translation helped establish his reputation as a scholar and man of letters. Carlyle's literary career gained momentum with the publication of Sartor Resartus (The Tailor Retailored) in 1833-1834. This unconventional work, presented as a fictionalized philosophical autobiography, explores themes of society, religion, and the individual's search for meaning. Although initially met with mixed reviews, Sartor Resartus later gained recognition for its originality and depth. His historical works, especially The French Revolution: A History (1837), cemented Carlyle's status as a prominent historian. The book is known for its vivid narrative style and passionate portrayal of historical events, emphasizing the role of heroes and the impact of ideas on social change. Carlyle's writing style was often characterized by its intensity and moral fervor. His essays, including On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1841), examined the role of influential individuals in shaping history and society. Carlyle's philosophy placed an emphasis on the power of great individuals to drive historical change.

He also contributed to contemporary social and political discourse through his writings. Carlyle's work influenced many Victorian thinkers, including John Ruskin and Charles Dickens, and he was regarded as a mentor to the younger generation of writers. Thomas Carlyle's later years were marked by personal tragedies, including the deaths of his wife, Jane Welsh Carlyle, and several close friends. He continued to write and lecture until his death on February 5, 1881, in London. Carlyle's impact on literature and thought extended beyond his lifetime. While his ideas fell out of favor in the 20th century, his works continue to be studied for their historical insights, and Carlyle remains an important figure in the intellectual history of the Victorian era.

The French Revolution - A History

The book that established Thomas Carlyle’s reputation when first published in 1837, this spectacular historical masterpiece has since been accepted as the standard work on the subject. It combines a shrewd insight into character, a vivid realization of the picturesque, and a singular ability to bring the past to blazing life, making it a reading experience as thrilling as any novel. As John D. Rosenberg observes in his Introduction, The French Revolution is “one of the grand poems of Carlyle’s century, yet its poetry consists in being everywhere scrupulously rooted in historical fact.”