the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 

 
 
 

Record Number: 33053


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

24 June 1916 �I came to this dreadful place a week ago. The Medical Board gave me �light duty��but they don�t understand the term here. We get up at 5.30 a.m. and are still at it till tea time and sometimes later. And all the time the same monotonous work�shouting oneself hoarse � I�ve got something you must read�Bernard Shaw�s preface to Androcles and the Lion, just published. It is, I think, the last word on Christianity, and one of the best things Shaw has ever written � I get the New Age every week ��

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

24 Jun 1916

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Rugeley
county: Staffordshire
other location: Rugeley Camp

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Herbert Edward Read

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

4 Dec 1893

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Second Lieutenant, Yorkshire Regiment

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Bernard Shaw

Title:

Androcles and the Lion

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

London: Constable, 1916

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

33053

Source:

Print

Author:

Herbert Read

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Contrary Experience: Autobiographies

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1963

Vol:

n/a

Page:

71-2

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Herbert Read, The Contrary Experience: Autobiographies, (London, 1963), p. 71-2, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33053, accessed: 04 February 2026


Additional Comments:

None