Question

Battle of the books summary and analysis

Answer 1

The Battle of the Books” begins with a note from the bookseller to the reader, telling the reader that it refers to a “famous dispute … about ancient and modern learning.” Sir William Temple had taken the side of the ancients against Charles Boyle, who had praised the ancient writer Phalaris, but Wotton and Bentley had taken Boyle’s side. The controversy led to a battle between the books themselves, literally, in the King’s library. The manuscript about the battle is incomplete, so we still do not know who won.