On History

In these essays, Eric Hobsbawn reflects upon the theory, practice and development of history and its relevance to the modern world. The wide-ranging papers reflect his concern with the relations between past, present and future. They deal with, among other subjects, the problem of writing history, its abuses and the historian's responsibility; with the history of society and "history from below"; with Marx and current historical trends or fashions; with Europe, the Russian Revolution and the descent into a world-wide barbarism that, he says, increasing for most of the 20th century, threatens to destroy the civilization we have inherited from the European Enlightenment of the 18th century. The essays reveal the author's passionate belief in the importance of studying history.

“Full of the author's characteristic merits ...authoritative and highly relevant.”

'Engaging...always instructive.' THE OBSERVER '' THE NEW STATESMAN 'Brilliant' - SUNDAY TIMES

Eric Hobsbawm was born in Alexandria in 1917 and educated in Vienna, Berlin, London and Cambridge. A Fellow of the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, with honorary degrees from universities in several countries. He is the well-known author of AGE OF REVOLUTION 1789-1848, THE AGE OF CAPITAL 1848-1875 etc

In these essays, about a quarter of them previously unpublished, Eric Hobsbawm reflects upon the theory, practice and development of history and its relevance to the modern world. These wide-ranging papers reflect Professor Hobsbawm's lifelong concern with the relations between past, present and future. They deal, among many other subjects, with the problems of writing history, its abuses and the historian's responsibilities; with the history of society and 'history from below'; with Marx and current historical trends or fashions; with Europe, the Russian Revolution and the descent into a world-wide barbarism that, increasing for most of the twentieth century, threatens to destroy the civilisation we have inherited from the European Enlightenment of the eighteenth century.These essays reveal a passionate belief in the importance of studying history, as well as displaying the incisive analysis, the breadth of allusion and the distinctive viewpoint for which this great historian is justly famous.

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