This isn't a book with a plot in the traditional sense. It's a slice of the world as understood in 1911, alphabetically bound between 'Cockaigne' and 'Columbus, Christopher.' You'll find entries on obscure saints, forgotten battles, detailed explanations of coinage ('coin' gets several pages), and deep dives into then-current sciences. The entry on Cockaigne describes a medieval dreamland of lazy luxury, while the biography of Columbus presents him through the lens of early 20th-century hero worship, untouched by the critical reevaluation that came later.

Why You Should Read It

Reading this volume is an adventure in perspective. The confidence of the writing is astounding—these authors believed they were compiling near-perfect knowledge. You get to see what mattered then, what they got brilliantly right, and where their blind spots were huge. It's not just history; it's a record of how history was made. The prose itself is a joy—clear, formal, and often witty in a very dry, British way. You feel smarter just by the way the sentences are constructed.

Final Verdict

Perfect for curious minds who love history, trivia, or just the strange pleasure of old books. If you enjoy connecting dots across time or seeing how our understanding of the world evolves, you'll be glued to this. It's not a cover-to-cover read for most, but an incredible book to dip into. Think of it as the most educational rabbit hole you'll ever fall down.