The History of England, 6 Vols

David Hume’s reputation in philosophy tends to obscure the fact that among his contemporaries The History of England was his most successful work and to this day both the British Library and the Cambridge University Library continue to list him as “David Hume, historian.” Originally published in 6 volumes, this history “from the invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688” has gone through over 100 editions.

Hume saw English history as an evolution from a government of will to a government of law, which makes The History a study of enduring value to the modern reader.

While the Liberty Fund edition is based on the edition of 1778 which contains Hume’s final corrections, the typography has been modernized for ease of reading. Hume’s own index to the entire work may be found at the conclusion of Volume 6.