Classic collection of essays, with 12 illustrations. The contents include: I. THE HERO AS DIVINITY. ODIN. PAGANISM: SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY. II. THE HERO AS PROPHET. MAHOMET: ISLAM. III. THE HERO AS POET. DANTE: SHAKESPEARE. IV. THE HERO AS PRIEST. LUTHER; REFORMATION: KNOX; PURITANISM. V. THE HERO AS MAN OF LETTERS. JOHNSON, ROUSSEAU, BURNS. VI. THE HERO AS KING. CROMWELL, NAPOLEON: MODERN REVOLUTIONISM. According to Wikipedia: "Thomas Carlyle (1795 1881) was a Scottish essayist, satirist, and historian, whose work was highly influential during the Victorian era. Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was expected by his parents to become a preacher, but while at the University of Edinburgh, he lost his Christian faith. Calvinist values, however, remained with him throughout his life. This combination of a religious temperament with loss of faith in traditional Christianity made Carlyle's work appealing to many Victorians who were grappling with scientific and political changes that threatened the traditional social order.