The topics on which hobsbawm focuses are the advent of total war, the russian revolution. Eric hobsbawm was one of the 20th centurys most prolific academic writers and arguably its most famous leftwing historian. Oct 01, 2012 hobsbawm s ideas will long survive him, especially through his major works, the age of revolution, the age of capital, the age of empire, history of the 20th century, the age of extremes. Eric hobsbawm war and peace in the 20th century 2001. Marxism, a sort of bastard marxism trying to combine marxism with whatever. Hobsbawms unanswered question international socialist. On history brings together essays and talks, from the last thirty years, in which hobsbawm looks at history s connections to politics, society, and other disciplines and at trends within history itself. A twentieth century life, is a vast treasure house of memories and provides a look into the past and the events that have shaped the world of today. On history brings together his brilliant and challenging. Initially, the bourgeoisie grabbed the flag of politics, joining forces with the laboring. As the historian eric hobsbawm says, we are now in a position to rethink much of our past history, including download the ebook the age of extremes. The passing of eric hobsbawm in october 2012 and the fiftieth.
Chapter 1 is a largely expanded and rewritten contribution to a public conversation on marx held under the auspices of the jewish book week in 2007. A report from professor hobsbawm s memorial service. Eric john ernest hobsbawm, british historian born june 9, 1917, alexandria, egyptdied oct. The recent anticommunist revolutions of 1989 further polarised commentators between those who saw them as a. Born in alexandria, egypt, of secondgeneration british parents, hobsbawm was orphaned at age fourteen in 1931. Programme, myth and reality 1991, the age of extremes. On the edge of the new century is the sequel to eric hobsbawms the age of extremes, a book of serious and challenging historical analysis that became a worldwide bestseller, now in paperback. The wideranging papers reflect his concern with the relations between past, present and future. Eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba was a british historian of the rise of industrial. It is clear that by the end of the twentieth century, capitalism as a. The age of empire is a very wellknown historical analysis of the age of empire, written by eric hobsbawm, the time period from 1875 1914, right before world war ii.
This is an edited extract from a speech to the british academy colloquium on marxist historiography, first. I ll also agree with worldspy, off topic sounds like a good section for you to check out. Hobsbawm is a great example on how to engage history with marxist dialectics in a way in engaged the reader. You can listen to hobsbawm talking to simon schama about his life and work. The chain of events represented such significant changes in world.
He knew so much about so many things in the history of so many countries. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. In these essays, eric hobsbawn reflects upon the theory, practice and development of history and its relevance to the modern world. Pellucid and gently ironic, each paragraph embroidered by a blizzard of erudition, hobsbawm s prose is instantly recognizable. A lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. He says in his preface that in most of them the limits of what can be said in a fiftyminute lecture show through, but while they are almost. This interview is being conducted for the project making history. Top 21 quotes of eric hobsbawm famous quotes and sayings. Eric hobsbawm has produced a superb overview of the middle threequarters of the 20th century. World, modern 20th century, history modern 20th century, 19001999 20th century, 20th century publisher vintage collection. In the previous volume of hobsbawms history, the age of imperialism, the working class did get a chapter. Eric hobsbawm, university of london, united kingdom, delivered his speech war and peace in the 20th century.
If the twentieth century was short, he was nevertheless full well, even too full. Eric hobsbawm brought to life lost voices and placed. From his early books on the industrial revolution and european empires, to his magisterial 1995 study of the short twentieth century, age of extremes, hobsbawm has become known as one of the finest practitioners of his craft. Even the huge concentrations of workers which characterised much of 20th century capitalism are missing. Two centuries look back on the french revolution is a book by eric hobsbawm first published in 1990 by verso books. Eric j hobsbawm 1982, in the era of antifascism, 192945 in how to change the world, pp 27374, 308. Dividing the century into the age of catastrophe, the golden age, and the landslide, hobsbawm marshals a vast array of. This is a history of political ideologies during the period famously described by. The short twentieth century, 19141991 is a book by eric hobsbawm, published in 1994. One long century ago, on june 9, 1917, not quite halfway between the february revolution and the october revolution, eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria, egypt. Eric hobsbawm, the historian who lived through some of the. Hobsbawm was a brilliant historian in the great english tradition of narrative history. In 1998, in grateful recognition for services rendered, eric hobsbawm was made a companion of honour by the queen in the 1998 new year honours.
Sep 29, 2016 i was privileged to have known, however slightly, eric hobsbawm. Oct 07, 2012 at the nobel centennial symposia, held on 6 december 2001 in oslo, norway, dr. Hobsbawm,the great british marxist historian,led a long life of erudition and his memoir tells the story of turbulent and adversarial 20th century beautifully. Marxist eric hobsbawm s death triggered an outpouring of grief from the bbc. It was written just after the bicentenary of the french revolution in 1989 which was accompanied by a large outpouring of new scholarship. The majestic 19th century trilogy and the two, very differently cast, 20th century histories are abundantly available in bookshops. Is it really possible for history to tell us something about an era which has. War, peace and hegemony at the beginning of the 21st century. Eric hobsbawms dangerous reputation books the guardian. Eric hobsbawm history and understanding the past 2000. Always a great historian to bring up in bourgeois discussions as well because his methods were so accurate that the only complaint is his marxism making them uncomfortable.
He is usually labeled a marxist historian, but from reading his tetralogy, of which this is the final volume, i see him more as a. I was privileged to have known, however slightly, eric hobsbawm. The age of revolution, the age of capital, and the age of empire, and was the author of the age of extremes. Celebrated historian professor eric hobsbawm talks to michael ignatieff about his book age of extremes. Living with an uncle in berlin, he experienced the full force of world economic depression, and in the. In other words, giorgio napolitano, like eric hobsbawm, has become part of the establishment. Born in alexandria to britishaustrian parentage,schooled in vienna, berlin and uk,he led a long scholarly life, coming with publications on long 19th century 17891914 in 3 volumes and. He wrote many acclaimed historical works, including a trilogy on the nineteenth century. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria, a chance location which he was able to use. We can expect such books to proliferate as we approach the end of the millennium.
Eric hobsbawm s works have had a nearly incalculable effect across generations of readers and students, influencing more than the practice of history but also the perception of it. Tristram hunt is the labour mp for stokeontrent central. Hobsbawm was the scion of a jewish family, born in egypt but raised in germany and austria. The period begins with the beginning of the first world war and ends with the collapse of the soviet union. Oct 01, 2012 eric hobsbawm, who was born the same year as the russian revolution, and driven to britain from central europe by nazism, died on october 1st, aged. Premier historian eric hobsbawms brilliant study of the industrial revolution, which sold more than a quarter of a million copies in its original edition, is now back in print, updated for a new generation. The first provided an unforgettable account of social bandits in 19th. The lifelong communist died only five years ago, in 2012 at the age of ninetyfive. In 2008, the historian tony judt summed up hobsbawm s career thus. Michael joseph, 1994, chapter 4, against the common enemy. The author of, among many other works, a classic quartet on modern world history, the age of revolution, the age of capital, the age of empire and age of extremes, hobsbawm was widely respected as one of the greatest historians of the left and one of the greatest historians of the 20th century more generally.
May 12, 2011 born in alexandria in 1917, eric hobsbawm was educated in vienna, berlin, london and cambridge. Eric hobsbawm and his essay on the invention of tradition. Hatful of history have two excellent blog articles. It was obviousas i rather tactlessly suggested in the first paragraphthat this book was likely to be his last another volume of essays is in fact scheduled to appear in 20. How to change the world online university of the left. Another piece of awesomeness to put in any type of dutch. Eric hobsbawm was a british historian of the 20th century, known.
Bandits 1969, the age of capital 1974, a history of marxism published. I have a small personal qualification for giving it. A n wilson, a fellow historian, has a different view. Hobsbawm is a provocative guide to the short twentieth century. Interview with professor eric hobsbawm making history. In industry and empire, hobsbawm explores the origin and dramatic course of the industrial revolution over two hundred and fifty years and its influence on social and political institutions.
War, peace and hegemony at the beginning of the 21st century eric hobsbawm l. Eric hobsbawm, a selfconfessed unrepentant communist, was professor emeritus of economic and social history of the university of london at birkbeck. I ll also agree with worldspy, off topic sounds like a good section for. Premier historian eric hobsbawm s brilliant study of the industrial revolution, which sold more than a quarter of a million copies in its original edition, is now back in print, updated for a new generation. Few will be able to match the powerful analysis and broad sweep of this book. But as far as the history of the 20th century was concerned.
In the immensely productive decade and a half or so after 1956, hobsbawm published seven titles bearing his signature. How far back into history the analyst should gowhether to the midseventeenth century english revolution, to the reformation and the beginning of european military world conquest and colonial exploita tion in the early sixteenth century, or even earlier, is for our purposes irrelevant, for such analysis in depth would take us far beyond the. Age of extremes the short twentieth century, 19141991. Oct 04, 2012 the eminent historian eric hobsbawm s book the new century came out when the 21st century was but a few months old. If we can combine an emphasis on the inequalities and iniquities of. Publication date 199602 topics modern history, history, modern, history general history, history. His masterworkan economic history tetralogy spanning from the french revolution through the long 20th century remains required reading for graduate student orals, and is a constituent part of the literature on europe. A life in history by richard j evans is published by little, brown on 7 february rrp. Oct 01, 2012 hobsbawm was an enlightenment giant whose passing marks a sad pulling away from the 20th century and all it entailed. Culture and society in the twentieth century article pdf available in socialism and democracy 321. Hobsbawm s marxism made him a controversial figure but also, uniquely and universally, someone who commanded respect even among those who did not shareor who even outright rejectedhis political beliefs. Who are the readers i had in mind when i wrote these studies, now collected together.
In it, hobsbawm comments on what he sees as the disastrous failures of state socialism, capitalism, and nationalism. At the nobel centennial symposia, held on 6 december 2001 in oslo, norway, dr. The log is quite large, else i would just have you post it here. Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history the new. This was the point at which eric hobsbawm set out to. Few historians have done more to change the way we see the history of modern times than eric hobsbawm.
After several permutations and mergers, it would become a tributary to. The language of left and right which is essentially a twentiethcentury vocabulary. The short twentieth century, 19141991 in pdf or epub format and read it directly on your mobile phone, computer or any device. Yet the works by hobsbawm that had the most enduring intellectual impact, and are most admired by scholars, live on only in libraries. Hobsbawm was an enlightenment giant whose passing marks a sad pulling away from the 20th century and all it entailed. In other words, will they be explored as guides to the intellectual history of the past. T he history of western fashion in the 20th century will be very much impoverished if those who come to write it fail to emphasize the. Eric john ernest hobsbawm british historian britannica. I hope that my book will help readers to reflect on the question of what its and humanitys future will be in the twentyfirst century.
A life in history gives us one of the 20th century s most colorful and intellectually compelling figures. The eminent historian eric hobsbawm s book the new century came out when the 21st century was but a few months old. This was shortly after tony blair became prime minister and blair himself must have been behind it. In another installment of our ongoing series taking a closer look at historiographical milestones and important developments in the academic field of history, today well take a look at one of the most prominent historians of the 20th century and one of his most interesting texts. This statement by eric hobsbawm 19172012 is from a 1983 lecture on. Eric hobsbawm brought to life lost voices and placed reality. He says in his preface that in most of them the limits of what can be said in a fiftyminute lecture show through, but while they are almost all aimed at a broader audience, most of them. Eric hobsbawm has written a book which has been rightly acclaimed as setting the standard for accounts of the twentieth century. A fellow of the british academy and the american academy of arts and sciences, he taught for most of his career at birkbeck college, university of london, where he was emeritus professor of economic and social history. I think it is now possible to see the short twentieth century from 1914 to the end of the soviet era in some historical. The age of empire by eric hobsbawm 1601 words cram. Both art forms are tied into the eras they were developed in, more or less being mirrors of the society that they inhabited.