as a compiler and editor, he assembled several enormous collections of, "inter alia", famous speeches, prose literary works, travel narratives and writings about american history. (see the list of works "infra".) his major achievement was the ten-volume "literary digest history of the world war", consisting largely of skillfully collated and rewritten newspaper accounts and official documents, enhanced by a plethora of photographs. publication began within a year after the conclusion of the conflict. while the work obviously is a "first draft of history", it is a good one that can be read with profit even today. the author did not, however, live to see it to completion. he died while at work on the final volume.