author

Eugene Lawrence

1823–1894

A 19th-century American historical writer who moved from law into literature, he wrote lively works on European history and helped shape popular history books for general readers. His books range from British historians and church history to Columbus and Rome.

1 Audiobook

A Smaller History of Rome

A Smaller History of Rome

by Eugene Lawrence, William Smith

About the author

Born in New York City on October 10, 1823, Eugene Lawrence was educated in New York, graduated from New York University, and trained in law before turning away from legal practice to focus on writing. Contemporary reference works describe him as a historical writer who also spent time studying in European libraries before building a literary career.

Lawrence wrote for magazines and encyclopedias and published several history-focused books, including The Lives of British Historians, Historical Studies, The Jews and Their Persecutors, and Columbus and His Contemporaries. He is also remembered for his work on A Smaller History of Rome, where he edited and continued William Smith’s text for later editions.

His career seems to have centered on making large historical subjects readable for a broad audience. Lawrence died on August 17, 1894.