The Battle of the Books, and other Short Pieces

Pages: 111

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About this book

Swift's best-known short satire pictures the books of St. James's Library coming to blows over a real quarrel of his day: whether the writers of antiquity or the writers of his own age deserve more respect. This collection, printed in 1886, sets it beside a handful of shorter pieces by the Irish-born author (1667-1745).

A biographical introduction comes first, following Swift from his birth in Dublin through Trinity College and into Sir William Temple's household at Moor Park, where the Battle of the Books was written. A bookseller's note and the author's own preface on the nature of satire come next.

Among the shorter items are the verse piece "Cadenus and Vanessa", the mock-solemn "Meditation on a Broomstick" and a playful prediction aimed at an almanac maker named Partridge. Readers who enjoy eighteenth-century wit, or want to see a literary feud turned into comedy, will find a clear sample of Swift's manner here.

About the author

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and cleric, the foremost prose satirist in English. Gulliver's Travels and 'A Modest Proposal' remain devastatingly sharp.