A History of England from Early Times: A Linked Index to the Project Gutenberg Editions

David Hume

1711–1776

A central figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, this sharp, skeptical thinker reshaped debates about knowledge, human nature, religion, and morality. He was also a bestselling historian in his own lifetime, with a clear, lively prose style that still feels modern.

A prolific 19th-century British historian and compiler, he is best known for sweeping, illustrated histories of war, empire, and England. His books brought major events like the Crimean War and the Sepoy Uprising to a wide reading public.

T. (Tobias) Smollett

1721–1771

A sharp, energetic voice of 18th-century fiction, he brought comic chaos and restless travel to novels that still feel brisk and alive. Trained as a surgeon and drawn to satire, he wrote with the speed, bite, and eye for character that made him one of the great picaresque storytellers in English.