author
Henry Thomas Buckle
1821–1862
A self-taught Victorian historian with a bold, scientific cast of mind, he set out to explain how whole civilizations develop. Best known for the unfinished History of Civilization in England, he brought big ideas, sharp arguments, and unusual ambition to historical writing.
3 Audiobooks
History of Civilization in England, Vol. 1 of 3
by Henry Thomas Buckle
History of Civilization in England, Vol. 3 of 3
by Henry Thomas Buckle
History of Civilization in England, Vol. 2 of 3
by Henry Thomas Buckle
About the author
Born in Lee, Kent, on November 24, 1821, Henry Thomas Buckle grew up in a wealthy family but had fragile health and only limited formal schooling. He educated himself largely through wide reading, developing the habits of an independent scholar rather than a university-trained academic.
Buckle became famous for History of Civilization in England, published in two volumes in 1857 and 1861. In that work, he argued that human history could be studied through broad patterns and underlying laws, an approach that made him one of the most discussed historical writers of his time. He was also known as a strong amateur chess player.
His career was cut short when he died in Damascus on May 29, 1862, at just forty years old. Even though his great historical project remained unfinished, his attempt to bring a more systematic, analytical method to history helped secure his place in nineteenth-century intellectual life.