The latest book from respected marxist historian eric hobsbawm, how to change the world, is a welcome addition to this resurgence. He has produced some of the most insightful studies of empire, capitalism and class struggle, and is perhaps best known for his series of classic texts, the age of revolution. Oct 19, 2012 in his autobiography, published when he was 85, eric hobsbawm wrote. The bibliography of the writings of eric hobsbawm, prepared by keith mclelland in r. Oct 01, 2012 hobsbawms books, then, will shoulder the task of carrying the name and work forward. May 09, 2019 eric hobsbawm was a historian and a communist. 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. Eric hobsbawm, marx and history, nlr i143, januaryfebruary 1984. Although each book stands up as a volume in its own right it is very difficult, when finishing one, to not want to continue to. The age of revolution 17891848 and the age of capital 18481875 s to understand and explain the nineteenth century and its. The age of capital 1848 1875 is the era of liberal triumph. Hatful of history have two excellent blog articles. When he died, in 2012, at the age of ninetyfive, nearly all of his books were still in print, his. Rather than treating the two major events in isolation, he argued that the revolutions in france and in britain may have been different, but were complementary rather than.
Hobsbawm, eric, 1995, a historian living through history bbc radio three night waves interview from 1994, socialist history, number 8. You can listen to hobsbawm talking to simon schama about his life and work. Hobsbawms books, then, will shoulder the task of carrying the name and work forward. Pdf the age of revolution 1789 1848 download full pdf. Eric john ernest hobsbawm, british historian born june 9, 1917, alexandria, egyptdied oct. He is considered as one of the worlds bestknown historians. If anything, this book is better than the age of revolutions, and that was in itself really good. Despite the formation of workingclass parties, revolutionary spirit was extinguished. For many, eric hobsbawm represented the archetypal marxist historian.
The age of capital chronicles the transformation of capitalism from. Having read deeply and widely on economic and world history, hobsbawms study attempts to understand the era in. Between the world wars, the family moved first to vienna and then to berlin. Much of the info in this response is drawn from tom stammerss and patrick glens an analysis of eric hobsbawm s the age of revolution, which i published in 2015 lets start by looking at the state of play when the book was first published in 1962, then at what hobsbawm says, then at current historiography. Eric hobsbawm was born in 1917 in alexandria, egypt. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. When hitler came into power in 1933, they moved to england. The age of capital was originally the second part of a trilogy, flanked by the age of revolution. Oct 01, 2012 eric john ernest hobsbawm ch frsl fba. We are also grateful to the staff of the marx memorial library for assistance in tracing some of the more. The popular front and marxism in eric hobsbawms historical works. Read the age of capital pdf 18481875 by eric hobsbawm vintage in this book, eric hobsbawm chronicles the events and trends that led to the triumph of private enterprise and its exponents in.
Eric hobsbawms the age of capital is the second book in series that survey european and world history during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Whereas marx argued that socialism could only come through working class selfemancipation, in the age of capital hobsbawm was very disparaging about the key example marx gave of a socialist revolution. The age of capital is the second part of eric hobsbawm s trilogy on the long 19th century french revolution till first world war covering the period from 1848 through 1875. Eric hobsbawms enthralling and original account is an impassioned but objective history of the most significant sixty years in the history of europe. This is because of its judiciousness, not its shiftiness. I was privileged to have known, however slightly, eric hobsbawm.
Author of the age of revolution, industry and empire, captain swing, the age of capital, 18481875, labouring men, primitive rebels, bandits, the age of extremes eric hobsbawm open library donate. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria, a chance location which he was able to use later. Eric hobsbawms death last year robbed us of the last of that. Part of eric hobsbawm s epic fourvolume history of the modern world, along with the age of capitalism, the age of empire, and the age of extremes. In the age of revolution 1962 hobsbawm is combatively orthodox. Jan 14, 2011 this book is not, however, a complete history of marxism or even a reassessment of marx in light of the financial crisis, as i was hoping, but a collection of essays written by hobsbawm between. This is not a ritual of centenary celebration, but it is important to begin by reminding ourselves of the unique role of marx in historiography. Eric hobsbawm combines a historians store of information with the analysis of a sociologist, psychologist. Professor eric hobsbawm may be described as a professional marxist historian. Jan 03, 2012 eric hobsbawm age of capital 18481875. Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history the.
Eric hobsbawm historian age of revolution capital empire. The age of revolution 17891848 eric hobsbawm up the age of extremes 19141991 eric hobsbawm. Eric hobsbawm was born into a jewish family in 1927 to an austrian mother british father. The age of capital 18481875 is the era of liberal triumph. The age of revolution was driven, hobsbawm argued, by modernitys dual revolutions, a french political revolution. Eric hobsbawm was arguably the most distinguished marxist historian since. Following his parents death, he moved to germany to live with his aunt who adopted him and his sister.
You wont find any of this in hobsbawm, but you will read a lot about the bourgeoisie, peasants, socialism, revolution, and marx. The colossal economic gains made possible by capitalism were accompanied. Eric hobsbawm, marx and history, nlr i143, january. His father was leopold percy hobsbaum ne obstbaum, a jewish merchant from the east end of london of polish jewish descent. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria to a middleclass jewish family in june 1917. Topics age of revolution collection opensource language english. He justified this perspective through a tacit rejection of marx s vision of socialism. Also by eric hobsbawm the age of revolution 17891848 the age of capital 18481875 the age of empire 18751914 the age of extremes 19141991 labouring men industry and empire bandits revolutionaries worlds of labour nations and nationalism since 1780 on history uncommon people the new century globalisation, democracy and terrorism. James moran takes a closer look at eric hobsbawms work on the relevance of marxism for the. His many works on empire, class, nations and states are for many new to marxism the first way in to understanding a history that he described as the sweat, blood, tears and triumphs of the common people, our people.
The age of capital is the second part of eric hobsbawms trilogy on the long 19th century french revolution till first world war covering the period from 1848 through 1875. Eric hobsbawm became britains most respected historian. The age of capital, 18481875 by eric hobsbawm, eric. His bestknown works include his trilogy about what. Later the series became a tetralogy with the publication of age of extremes.
After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the. Eric hobsbawm age of revolution 1789 1848 internet archive. Jan 15, 2011 eric hobsbawm yes, there certainly is. Eric hobsbawm historian age of revolution capital empire extremes. Having read deeply and widely on economic and world history, hobsbawms study attempts to understand the era in its entirety and incorporates a wide body of. In this interview hobsbawm describes himself as a marxist who grew up in an. This book is not, however, a complete history of marxism or even a reassessment of marx in light of the financial crisis, as i was hoping, but a collection of essays written by hobsbawm between. This is the period of the massive advance of the world economy of industrial capitalism and the social order it represented, ideas and beliefs which seemed to ratify it. W e are here to discuss themes and problems of the marxist conception of history a hundred years after the death of marx. Eric john ernest hobsbawm british historian britannica. Nov 10, 2007 something close to the age of capital.
The paperback of the the age of capital, 18481875 by eric hobsbawm, eric hobsbawm, e. How to change the world online university of the left. Buy theage of capital, 18481875 new ed by hobsbawm, eric isbn. About the author born in 1917, eric hobsbawm was educated in austria, germany, and england. Walk into highgate cemetery, where a 19thcentury marx and spencer karl marx and herbert spencer are buried curiously enough within sight of each others grave. After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the movement first. Revolution 1962, the age of capital 1975 and the age of empire. Pdf introduction to a 1995 conversation with eric hobsbawm. In 1931 at the age of 14 he joined the communist party, or, to be precise, its school student organization, the sozialistischer schulerbund association of socialist pupils.
Walk into highgate cemetery, where a 19thcentury marx and spencer karl marx and herbert spencer are buried curiously enough within sight of each others. The age of revolution 17891848 and the age of capital 1848. Let me now return to the illustrations of marxs unique significance for historians which i gave at the start of this talk. Following the defeat of the paneuropean revolution of 1848 there ensued an extraordinary and unprecedented economic transformation and expansion in the years between 1848 and the early 1870s with key elements industrialization, capitalism, and international trade and investment. President sarkozy of france was photographed reading marx. But his chief interpretative framework, deliberately, was someone elsesnamely, karl marxs.
Marx remains the essential base of any adequate study of history, becauseso farhe alone has attempted to formulate a methodological approach to history as a whole, and to envisage and explain the entire process of human social evolution. Tales of marx and marxism eric hobsbawmlittle, brown, 480pp. Eric hobsbawm, who was born in the year of the bolshevik revolution, remains broadly committed to the marxist camp a fact worth mentioning as it would be easy to read this book without realising it. Hobsbawm organized his long nineteenth century into three distinct ages, each addressed in its own book. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Eric hobsbawm combines a historians store of information with the analysis of a sociologist, psychologist, philosopher, art critic, and god knows what else. Eric hobsbawm, the communist who explained history the new. I belong to the generation for whom the october revolution represented the hope of the world. He long retained a memory of himself as a 14yearold boy who read on a newspaper board the headline announcing the accession of the third reich. Oct 01, 2012 eric hobsbawm became britains most respected historian. Pdf eric hobsbawm, who died on october 1, 2012, was one of a handful. The age of capital examines the years 1848 1875 and is a work of synthesis. In this sequel to the age of revolution, which dealt with european history from 1789 to 1848, hobsbawm comments that he has less sympathy with the period that followed, from the defeat of bourgeois insurrections to the 1873 depression. The age of capital, 18481875 by eric hobsbawm, eric hobsbawm. The second volume, the age of capital, focuses, as its title indi cates, on the. Hobsbawm the materialistic concept of history david mclellan marx and the concept of history pierre vilar marxs critique of political economy maurice dobb marx philosopher istvan meszaros marx and.