Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The popular front in the works of eric hobsbawm the yale. He also discusses his childhood in central europe, his loyalty. He taught at birkbeck college, university of london, and then at the new school for social research in new york. From his early books on the industrial revolution and european empires, to his magisterial 1995 study of the short twentieth century, the age of extremes, hobsbawm has become known as one of the finest practitioners of the craft of writing history. Hobsbawm, eric john ernest hobsbawm, hobsbawm, eric j. Asked by the canadian academic and politician michael ignatieff on television whether the deaths of 20 million people in the ussr. Eric hobsbawm, who died on october 1 at the age of 95, was perhaps the twentieth centurys preeminent historian and a lifelong. Eric hobsbawm is a neomarxist historian of the industrial revolution who pays particular attention to the inequities toward the lower. In a tv interview, the canadian writer and public intellectual michael ignatieff put the key point to hobsbawm himself. When hobsbawm died, most of his books were in print, and he had made a massive contribution to early modern and modern history. When h died, in 2012, at the age of ninetyfive, nearly all of his books were still in print, his writings had been translated into more than fifty languages, and he was eulogized across the globe. Oct 01, 2012 had eric hobsbawm died 25 years ago, the obituaries would have described him as britains most distinguished marxist historian and would have left it more or less there.
Hobsbawm discussing his book age of extremes with michael ignatieff in 1994. So much so that verso, under its label new left books, published the. European identity and diversity in dialogue, barcelona metropolis, spring 2008. Recent events in eastern europe and the former soviet republics have since reinforced the central importance of nationalism in the history of political evolution and upheaval. Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history the new. Hobsbawm geinterviewd door michael ignatieff 24 oktober 1994, zie.
Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz consortiumnews. What you are saying, ignatieff asked, is that had the radiant tomorrow actually been created, the loss of fifteen, twenty million people might have been justified. The late show special eric hobsbawm age of extremes. In a 1994 interview with michael ignatieff he famously claimed that if the soviet union had succeeded in creating a true communist society, it would have been worth the. Eric hobsbawm took part in one of the most extraordinary conversations ever on british television. In the autumn of 1994, 77yearold eric hobsbawm, then one of the most celebrated historians in the world, gave a televised interview to the future canadian politician michael ignatieff.
Interview met hobsbawm in the new york times international herald. In a 1994 interview with michael ignatieff he famously claimed that if the soviet union had succeeded in creating a true communist society, it would have been worth the deaths of the twenty million people who perished under stalin. In 1994, when michael ignatieff asked him whether, if the. The eminent historian eric hobsbawms book the new century came out when the 21st century was but a few months old. In an interview with michael ignatieff, he indicated that the deaths of 15 or 20 million people under lenin.
Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history the. On the edge of the new century by eric hobsbawm, antonio polito and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A twentiethcentury life, by eric hobsbawm in a 1994 british television interview, the journalist michael ignatieff put a startling. It is a melancholy illusion of those who write books and articles that the printed word survives. Eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba was a british historian of the rise of industrial. Oct 01, 2012 eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba. Few historians have done more to change the way we see the history of modern times than eric hobsbawm. Hobsbawm was a brilliant historian in the great english tradition of narrative history, tony judt, a professor of history at new york university, wrote in an email in 2008, two. May 09, 2019 eric hobsbawm was a historian and a communist. David evanier, in an article published in the american neoconservative magazine the weekly standardcalled hobsbawm stalins cheerleader, writing. Interviewed by alan macfarlane september 2009 video where have the rebels gone. Eric hobsbawm 19172012 was one of the worlds most famous communist historians. Eric hobsbawms most popular book is the age of extremes.
All of us inevitably write out of the history of our own times when we look at the past and, to some extent, fight the battles of today in period costume. Hobsbawm discussing his book age of extremes with michael ignatieff in 1994 on bbc. Jun 02, 2017 eric hobsbawm, the renowned marxist historian, travels 35 miles on the pressburg railway from vienna to bratislava, visiting localities of his prewwii youth. Hobsbawm himself made this quite clear in a now famous and much quoted interview with michael ignatieff that conducted in 1994. Oct 01, 2012 eric hobsbawm is dead october 1, 2012 october 5, 2012 stephen hicks 12 comments add new tag, communism, eric hobsbawm, marxism, michael ignatieff, michael moynihan, soviet union a quotation about this academic, who lived a long, comfortable life in england justifying the theory and practice of communism. 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. Apr 11, 2012 eric hobsbawm is an icon of the british left. One part of the interview appears in evanss biography. Hobsbawm discussing his book age of extremes with michael. He also details the equally damaging television interview with michael ignatieff on the late show in 1994. Hobsbawm, hobsbawm e j, professor e j hobsbawm cambridge university press, oct 29, 1992 history 206 pages. Age of extremes was my most successful book, both in sales and critical reception. The grotesque facts never got in the way of eric hobsbawms devotion to communism.
Eric hobsbawms biography is unable to bring forth the combination of activist and intellectual in an analytical way. Retrieved 6 march he was a fellow of kings college, cambridge, from to in a interview on bbc british television with canadian author and politician michael ignatieff whose grandfather and. Celebrated historian professor eric hobsbawm talks to michael ignatieff about his book age of extremes. Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history portside. Hobsbawm was born in alexandria, a good place for a historian of empire, in 1917, a good year for a communist. Eric hobsbawm has 103 books on goodreads with 82375 ratings. But talking to eric in his airy front room, filled with family photos, academic. A few decades ago i almost had a conversation with eric hobsbawm, the marxist historian who died yesterday aged 95.
Eric hobsbawm, the renowned marxist historian, travels 35 miles on the pressburg railway from vienna to bratislava, visiting localities of his prewwii youth. Eric hobsbawm was one of my primary intellectual influences. Eric hobsbawm is a neomarxist historian of the industrial revolution who pays particular. He is considered one of the worlds bestknown historians. He was rash enough to describe hobsbawms cycle of books beginning with the age of revolution. Nor did he quit after the tanks rolled into prague twelve years later. Hobsbawm s introduction to the communist manifesto by karl marx and frederick engels is being published in paperback for the first time by verso on international workers day, may 1st. In a 1994 interview on bbc television with canadian academic michael ignatieff, he shocked viewers when he said. Culture and society in the twentieth century new york. In 1994 hobsbawm published age of extremes, the fourth volume of his history of modern europe from the french revolution to the collapse of soviet communism. His bestknown works include his trilogy about what. Hobsbawm was a brilliant historian in the great english. Christopher hitchens interviews eric hobsbawm youtube. According to the historian robert conquest, hobsbawm was asked by michael ignatieff in a bbc interview in 1994.
His bestknown works include his trilogy about what he called the long 19th century, the age of extremes on the short 20th century, and an edited volume that introduced the influential idea of invented traditions. The british marxist historian eric hobsbawm died on october 1, aged ninetyfive. May 12, 2019 eric hobsbawm was a historian and a communist. May 11, 2019 eric hobsbawm was a historian and a communist. Asked by the canadian academic and politician michael ignatieff on. In 2003, the new york times declared eric hobsbawm one of the great british historians of his age, an unapologetic communist and a polymath whose erudite, elegantly written histories are still. First published in 1969, this nowclassic book inspired a whole new field of historical study and brought its author popular acclaim.
Early in 1998, the historian eric hobsbawm went to buckingham. In addition to the age of revolution, the age of capital, the age of empire and the age of extremes, his books include bandits, revolutionaries, uncommon people, and. In addition to the age of revolution, the age of capital, the age of empire and the age of extremes, his books include bandits, revolutionaries, uncommon people, and his memoir interesting times. What your view comes down to is saying that had the radiant tomorrow actually. Formatted as a glossy newsmagazine, it sought a wide readership by consciously positioning itself as a reformist voice from the left within debates over the future of the labour party in the. The political fortune of the organized left having taken a nosedive globally, although his biography has been written by a leading contemporary british historian, and at enormous length 662 pages of text, 81 pages of notes and a 37page index, the combination of activist and intellectual does not come out in. The late show eric hobsbawm age of extremes 24 october. In an interview with michael ignatieff, he indicated that the deaths of 15 or 20 million people under lenin and stalin might have been justified if the soviet union had worked as. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria in 1917 and educated in austria, germany and england. The london times gave him both an editorial and an. Eric hobsbawm history and understanding the past 2000.
Eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba was a british historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism and nationalism. The grotesque facts never got in the way of eric hobsbawms devotion to. He was secondgeneration british, the grandson of a polish jew and cabinetmaker who. Books by eric hobsbawm author of the age of extremes. I was at a conference in england at the time and was surprised by the local response. Verso books is the largest independent, radical publishing house in the englishspeaking world. Eric hobsbawm, age of extremes, interview by michael ignatieff, the late. It is no fiction that hobsbawm was asked a similar question by michael ignatieff in an 1994 interview, namely, if the radiant tomorrow had actually been. When he died, in 2012, at the age of ninetyfive, nearly all of his books were still in print, his writings had been translated into more than fifty languages, and he was eulogized across the globe. Nor did hobsbawm resign from the cpgb as so many did in 1956 after the. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. He is considered as one of the worlds bestknown historians.
To hobsbawms discomfort, ignatieff soon turned the conversation away from his books to his communist faith, which the elderly professor had never renounced. Hobsbawms books may not be rooted in the hard labor of archival research, but they pushed history in fresh directions. 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. In 2003, the new york times declared eric hobsbawm one of the great british historians of his age, an unapologetic communist and a polymath whose erudite, elegantly written histories are.
Had eric hobsbawm died 25 years ago, the obituaries would have described him as britains most distinguished marxist historian and would. In an interview with michael ignatieff, he indicated that the deaths of 15 or 20 million people under lenin and stalin might have been justified if the soviet union had worked as a socialist model. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz. In a famous late show interview in 1994, hobsbawm told michael ignatieff that he would still have held the same position, even if someone had told him in advance that it would have cost 20m lives. Is it really possible for history to tell us something about an era which has. It is no fiction that hobsbawm was asked a similar question by michael ignatieff in an 1994 interview, namely, if the radiant tomorrow had actually been created in the soviet union would the death of 15 or 20 million people have been justified.
When he died, in 2012, at the age of ninetyfive, nearly all of his books were still in print, his. The guardian devoted its entire front page to the news, with more conservative newspapers and commentators not far behind. At first glance, the question of whether a selfproclaimed marxist historian, a member in good standing of the communist party, can be a good historian seems selfevident. In death as in life, eric hobsbawm was proclaiming his loyalty to the cause he had first espoused as a boy in berlin in the years 1933.