An Englishman Looks at the World

H. G. Wells

An Englishman Looks at the World by H. G. Wells is a rich and eclectic collection of essays that presents the author's bold, imaginative, and often prophetic views on the most pressing issues of the early 20th century. First published in 1914, this book brings together over 30 essays covering topics ranging from politics and social reform to science, literature, technology, and global affairs. Wells's journey begins with the marvel of aviation in The Coming of Blériot and My First Flight, capturing the awe of a new technological era. He goes on to critique the structures of empire in Will the Empire Live?, interrogate class struggle in Labour Unrest, and consider societal transformation through Syndicalism or Citizenship and The Great State. He contemplates the moral and practical dimensions of war in The Common Sense of Warfare, explores evolving norms in Divorce and The Endowment of Motherhood, and muses on literary culture in The Contemporary Novel and About Chesterton and Belloc. Wells also takes on philosophical and sociological themes in essays like The So-Called Science of Sociology and Is There a People?, raising questions about identity, democracy, and collective intelligence. His reflections are anchored by a commitment to progress, education, and a scientifically informed, egalitarian future. This volume showcases Wells not only as a science fiction pioneer but as one of the most perceptive social commentators of his time. His writing is direct, speculative, and rich with urgency, offering timeless insights into the structure and destiny of civilization. An Englishman Looks at the World is both a time capsule of early modern anxieties and a forward-looking vision of human potential.

Table of contents

• THE COMING OF BLIRIOT
• MY FIRST FLIGHT
• OFF THE CHAIN
• OF THE NEW REIGN
• WILL THE EMPIRE LIVE?
• THE LABOUR UNREST
• SOCIAL PANACEAS
• SYNDICALISM OR CITIZENSHIP
• THE GREAT STATE
• THE NORMAL SOCIAL LIFE
• THE COMMON SENSE OF WARFARE
• THE CONTEMPORARY NOVEL
• THE PHILOSOPHER'S PUBLIC LIBRARY
• ABOUT CHESTERTON AND BELLOC
• ABOUT SIR THOMAS MORE
• TRAFFIC AND REBUILDING
• THE SO-CALLED SCIENCE OF SOCIOLOGY
• DIVORCE
• THE SCHOOLMASTER AND THE EMPIRE
• THE ENDOWMENT OF MOTHERHOOD
• DOCTORS
• AN AGE OF SPECIALISATION
• IS THERE A PEOPLE?
• THE DISEASE OF PARLIAMENTS
• THE AMERICAN POPULATION
• THE POSSIBLE COLLAPSE OF CIVILISATION
• THE IDEAL CITIZEN
• SOME POSSIBLE DISCOVERIES
• THE HUMAN ADVENTURE