David Ogg (1887–1965)

1162 Europe of the Ancien Regime 1715-1783, by David Ogg (read 13 May 1972) This is a survey of 18th century Europe. It is an interesting time: "...the legacy of the 18th century is greater than that of any other, for so much of what has been preserved can be appreciated by anyone. If we except Kant, its philosophy can be understood without any special equipment; its literature is easily available in originals and reprints; most of its best architecture has been preserved; our galleries are filled with its best paintings and sculptures; its music can be heard on every radio. For us, the 18th century is far enough away to be distinctive and self-contained, but not too distant for easy comprehension. Of no other period can such statements be made." The book is full of interesting things. I want to read James MacPherson's "Fingal" and "Temora," alleged translations of Ossian, "which caused many readers to revel in the mists and desolate shores of the western Highlands." Also Henry Mackenzie's Man of Feeling. I shall read more on the 18th century. [But when I found work by Ossian I quit after one page! and now, in 2009, I still have not read Mackenzie. Sad.]… (más)

4874. Europe in the Seventeenth Century, by David Ogg (read 30 Oct 2011) This was published in 1925 and so some of the commentary, even though it is about the 17th century, is not what would now be said of the events of that century. There are seven chapters (out of 13) which deal mainly with France, the nation which loomed extra-large in the century. Much of the material is of high interest, including an account of Jansenism, and of the 30 Years War. I also found the account of Charles XII of Sweden intriguing. The author concludes Charles was insane, since he did such dumb things, like leaving Sweden for years while invading Russia and holing up in Turkey. In general I found Ogg's comments insightful and worth reading. The final chapter discusses intellectual leaders of the century, such as Descartes, Leibnitz, and Spinoza, and Thomas Campanella, of whom I don't recall hearing previously. But there were stretches where I did not find the text too interesting, no doubt my fault but true. Despite the title, there is no discussion of England except as it pertains to her activity on the Continent.… (más)

-A lucid and stimulating account of the Europe of the Ancien Regime in the period leading up to the French Revolution. Written in the scholarly style of the time, this book contained a lot of good information and the series would be a decent read though the source material and analysis is a little dated. The book covers huge amounts of material and even though it is meant to be accessible to the casual reader, its scholarly nature can make the overview-style structure of the book seem awkward. The facts and information in book are presented in such a manner that it assumes that the reader is familiar with the source material even though it is supposed to be a primer on the subject. Interesting and I would like to see the rest of the series, but dated.… (más)