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Secondary sourceBook1918

The Story of the Buddha

Edith Holland · 1918

A 1918 popular book for young readers retelling the life story of the Buddha.

This 1918 book retells the Buddha's life story for young readers as part of a biographical series.

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The Story of the BuddhaPDF · 232 pages
Edith Holland, The Story of the Buddha, 1918. Scanned book, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a 1918 book by Edith Holland, part of a series called 'Heroes of All Time' aimed at young readers. It retells the life of the Buddha in simple narrative form, drawing on earlier sources listed at the end of the book.

Why it matters

The book shows how the Buddha's story was retold for children and general readers in the early 20th century, as part of a series that also covered other famous historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. It reveals how the Buddha was presented to Western audiences as a figure of heroic and moral importance.

Look closer

  • Why might the Buddha be included in a series called 'Heroes of All Time' alongside figures like Alexander the Great?
  • What does placing the Buddha in such a series suggest about how he was understood by Western readers at the time?
  • Since this is a retelling rather than an original source, what might be left out or simplified?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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