The Battle of the Books, and other Short
The Battle of the Books, and other Short by Jonathan Swift is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 248 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Battle of the Books, and other Short Pieces by Jonathan Swift. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #623.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Battle of the Books, and other Short
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 244 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of The Battle of the Books, and other Short by Jonathan Swift carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #623, divided into 12 chapters and 248 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read The Battle of the Books, and other Short in full?
The complete text of The Battle of the Books, and other Short is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #623 and divided into 248 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Battle of the Books, and other Short by Jonathan Swift, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #623, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 1237 sentences across 12 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is The Battle of the Books, and other Short divided for reading?
The Battle of the Books, and other Short is presented in 12 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Battle of the Books, and other Short as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 248 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 12 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear The Battle of the Books, and other Short read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Battle of the Books, and other Short can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Battle of the Books, and other Short can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading The Battle of the Books, and other Short
Common questions about reading The Battle of the Books, and other Short by Jonathan Swift on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Battle of the Books, and other Short?
Yes. All 1237 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #623 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Battle of the Books, and other Short is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #623, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Battle of the Books, and other Short take to read?
About 103 minutes of reading across 248 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Battle of the Books, and other Short section by section
How to work through The Battle of the Books, and other Short section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Battle of the Books, and other Short to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Battle of the Books, and other Short
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Battle of the Books, and other Short, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Battle
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Books, and other Short; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Books
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Books, and other Short; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Other
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Books, and other Short; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Short
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battle of the Books, and other Short; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.