Eric hobsbawm, the eminent english labor historian, is concerned here with the sort of people whose names are usually unknown to anyone outside their family and. Oct 01, 2012 the work of the renowned marxist historian eric hobsbawm ranged across revolutions and the centuries. As francis newton named after a communist jazz trumpeter who played on billie holidays strange fruit, i wrote a column every month or so for the new. See all books authored by eric hobsbawm, including the age of extremes. Nov 20, 2014 eric hobsbawm wrote some of the most readable and informative histories primarily in four wellthumbed volumes on my book shelf. A short 20th century 19141991, and the age of revolution, 17891848, and more on. Share eric hobsbawm quotations about revolution, past and capitalism. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. His many books include a threepart study of the long 19th century the age of revolution, the age of capital and the age of empire, age of extremes.
The work of the renowned marxist historian eric hobsbawm ranged. Here are extracts from his major works on communism, war and jazz. Eric hobsbawm has 103 books on goodreads with 82375 ratings. Feb 07, 2019 hobsbawm nauseatingly referred to as eric throughout exemplifies the moral degeneracy of so many british intellectuals who still hold that stalinists are cosy and comprehensible, undeserving of the pariah status rightly accorded to anyone claiming there was something to be said for hitler. Chronicles the origins and historical evolution of jazz, explores its significance as a vehicle of protest, and considers the styles of major musicians. They persuaded eric to write a book about jazz, which was published in 1959. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. Books by eric hobsbawm author of the age of extremes. Hobsbawm analisa o jazz como criacao revolucionaria dos negros, uma raca submetida a certas circunstancias historicas a escravidao moderna. Asia times eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all. Eric hobsbawms most popular book is the age of extremes. May 27, 2010 eric hobsbawm, who died on 1 october 2012 at the age of 95, was one of the foremost historians of the 20th century. It brings together a wide range of topics, collected under four headings. It was a strange time to be visiting the soviet union, even stranger for a.
This, the first biography of eric hobsbawm, is far more than a study of a professional historian. Born in alexandria, egypt, of secondgeneration british parents, hobsbawm was orphaned at age fourteen in 1931. From one of englands leading historians, a classic work on jazz history. 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. Eric john ernest hobsbawm, british historian born june 9, 1917, alexandria, egyptdied oct. Hobsbawm discussing his book age of extremes with michael ignatieff in 1994. Before retirement he taught at birkbeck college, university of london, and after retirement at the new school for social research in new york.
The short 20th century and a memoir, interesting times. Subscribe here when i was in graduate school, i had the good fortune to hear eric hobsbawm lecture on nationalism. Eric hobsbawm has turned his keen eye and sharp wit to this uniquely american form of music to give the reader a completely original point of view. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz march 5, 2019 the writers global appeal will remain something for the history books, writes pepe escobar. Eric john ernest hobsbawm british historian britannica. Eric hobsbawm, who died on 1 october 2012 at the age of 95, was one of the foremost historians of the 20th century. By night, however, he was francis newton, the new statesmans jazz critic, writing on sohos cultural netherworld, where intellectuals such as him found relief from the norms of propriety and restraint. Hobsbawm concludes with seven deft and delicious chapters on jazz, linking the symbol of new orleans to an anticommercial, antiracist phenomenon located on the borders between the new deal and the communist party. In the last weeks of 1954, eric hobsbawm and a small group of british historians set out on a goodwill trip to moscow.
Uncommon people is a collection of eric hobsbawm s essays spanning the majority of his long career, from the 1950s to the mid1990s. By 1962 jazz was all the rage, for instance, in czechoslovakia. 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. T he historian eric hobsbawm, who was born in 1917, the year of the russian revolution, and died in 2012 at the age of 95, was widely regarded as an unrepentant stalinist, a. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz consortiumnews. Eric hobsbawms dangerous reputation books the guardian. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. At the time the english boy born in alexandria, egypt in june. The radical tradition, country people, contemporary history and jazz.
Oct 01, 2012 he wrote a number of books on the subject including the jazz scene 1959 and uncommon people, resistance, rebellion and jazz 1998. Jan 17, 2019 t he historian eric hobsbawm, who was born in 1917, the year of the russian revolution, and died in 2012 at the age of 95, was widely regarded as an unrepentant stalinist, a man who, unlike other. Though hobsbawm has not changed his basic text in this first. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz hobsbawm s age of extremes turned him into a global superstar. Beginning in 1956, hobsbawm also moonlighted as an acerbic jazz critic for the new statesman and nation, writing under a pen name francis newton taken from the communist trumpeter who had played on billie holidays strange fruit. 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. Read the jazz scene by eric hobsbawm available from rakuten kobo. Eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba was a british historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism and nationalism. Eric hobsbawm and all that jazz the british academy.
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. Written by noted historian hobsbawm early in his career, this book was originally published in britain in 1959. The work of the renowned marxist historian eric hobsbawm ranged across revolutions and the centuries. Jul 01, 2019 hobsbawm wrote additionally on the outsider in history, whom he dubbed the primitive rebel, which turned his attention away from europe and to the developing world. Evans says his interest in jazz, and its milieu of dingy clubs full of drugaddled tarts, was also one. At the time it was an excellent complement to marshall stearns standard, the story of. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria in 1917 and educated in austria, germany and england. Enter eric as jazz critic of the new statesman, under the pseudonym francis newton. The jazz scene by eric hobsbawm nook book ebook barnes. A life in history tells the inside story of these now classic works the agesequence of revolution, capital and extremes, industry and empire my favourite, the invention of tradition, nations and nationalism, and so on. The jazz scene first published in 1959 is both a history of jazz music and a compilation of articles written under the. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz asia times.
Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz hobsbawms age of extremes turned him into a global superstar. 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. And, not to be neglected, under the pseudonym frances newton, hobsbawm penned magazine essays for a number of years on one of his great passions, jazz. From 195565 the historian eric hobsbawm took the pseudonym francis newton and wrote a monthly column for the new statesman on jazz. This article appears in the summer 2019 issue of the american prospect magazine. Eric hobsbawm was a fellow of the british academy and the american academy of arts and sciences. From the historian eric hobsbawm took the pseudonym francis newton and wrote a monthly column for the new statesman on jazz. Few historians have done more to change the way we see the history of modern times than eric hobsbawm. Eric hobsbawm wrote some of the most readable and informative histories primarily in four wellthumbed volumes on my book shelf.
From 195565 the historian eric hobsbawm took the pseudonym francis newton and wrote a monthly column for the new statesman on jazz music he had loved ever since discovering it as a boy in 1933 the year adolf hitler took power in germany. He is considered one of the worlds bestknown historians. Uncommon people gives a reasonably good idea of the scope of hobsbawms work, but is probably not the best entry to his work for newcomers unless they have a particular interest in jazz. Thats when jazz and especially the blues started to be sold across the real socialism sphere as the music of the oppressed black working class in capitalist america. Eric hobsbawms 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. He was a prominent part of the jazz scene in soho in the late 1950s and his writings played a pivotal role in the emergence of new labour in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The jazz scene first published in 1959 is both a history of jazz music and a compilation of articles written under the name francis newton largely for the new statesman. A colleague familiar with eric hobsbawm summed him up pretty much in two words.
He begins with the prehistory of jazz, about which he is knowledgeable without being densealthough his slow start may cost him readers. When the editor kingsley martin asked him to provide more. Why does britain still revere the unrepentantly stalinist. Jazz lovers will savor his essays on count basie, duke ellington, billie holiday and other greats. 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. Highlighting eric hobsbawms passionate concern for the lives and struggles of ordinary men and women, uncommon people brings back into print his classic works on labor history, working people, and social protest, pairing them with more recent, previously unpublished pieces on everything from the villainy of roy cohen to the genius of count basie, duke ellington, and billie holliday.
Resistance, rebellion and jazz new ed by hobsbawm, eric isbn. Eric hobsbawm, the joy of history and all that jazz. He taught at birkbeck college, university of london, and then at the new school for social research in new york. But it was his tetralogy of age books that endowed hobsbawm with his oracular glow. Previous books include age of extremes, the age of revolution and the age of empire. Eric hobsbawm books list of books by author eric hobsbawm. Written by noted historian hobsbawm early in his career, this book was originally published in. The central question is whether his politics affected his historywriting. He wrote a number of books on the subject including the jazz scene 1959 and uncommon people, resistance, rebellion and jazz 1998. Discover book depositorys huge selection of eric hobsbawm books online. Eric hobsbawm, born june 9 1917, died october 1 2012. From 195565 the historian eric hobsbawm took the pseudonym francis newton and wrote a monthly column for the new stat. In addition to the age of revolution, the age of capital, the age of empire and the age of extremes, his books include bandits.