The extremes of age or how stalinists effortlessly become democrats a. For new students seeking a genuine overview, the flaws. Something close to the age of capital if anything, this book is better than the age of revolutions, and that was in itself really good. Eric hobsbawms the age of extremes chapter 7 end of empires the chapter talks about the conditions of underdeveloped and bourgeois countries which were ruled or colonized by a few western countries and industrialized for the rulers profit all leading up to the end of these empirescolonies. The short twentieth century, 19141991 is a book by eric hobsbawm, published in 1994. About the author born in 1917, eric hobsbawm was educated in austria, germany, and england. A bracing and magisterial work from a rich and acerbic mind, adds. 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. Erics first political memory was in vienna in 1927, when workers burned down the palace of justice. The topics on which hobsbawm focuses are the advent of total war, the russian revolution, the great depression, the end of liberalism and the. Major events covered during that period include the storming of the bastille marking the beginnings of the french revolution and the publication of the communist manifesto by karl marx, signaling the widespread political upheaval in europe that comes in 1848.
Last year marked the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of eric hobsbawms age of revolution, 17891848, a milestone that was largely overlooked in the more general hubbub over the great historians death in october. First published in great britain by weidenfeld and nicolson ltd 1975 first published by. Oct 01, 2012 eric s first political memory was in vienna in 1927, when workers burned down the palace of justice. Nov 06, 2012 celebrated historian professor eric hobsbawm talks to michael ignatieff about his book age of extremes. Eric hobsbawms the age of empire is the third in a series that attempts to tell the story of the long nineteenth century through a marxist perspective. As such, while hobsbawm had an illustrious career as an. For hobsbawm the age of extremes follows those of revolution, capitalism and empire on which he has already written at length and with great distinction. His oeuvre constitutes a monumental demonstration of what marxist history can do. His bestknown works include his trilogy about what he called the long 19th century the age of revolution. He begins the chapter with quotes detailing the casualties and senselessness of war.
Hobsbawm, calls the short twentieth century, ranging from the. Please see the supplementary resources provided below for other helpful content related to this book. 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. One describes the horrors of trench warfare, another the unbiased destruction caused by air attacks, and. Eric hobsbawm has produced a superb overview of the middle threequarters of the 20th century. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Age of extremes the short twentieth century, 19141991. Nations and nationalism whos who or the uncertainties of the bourgeoisie the new woman the arts transformed certainties undermined. Eric hobsbawms the age of capital is the second book in series that survey european and world history during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Eric hobsbawms age of revolution the rational colonel. Major events covered during that period include the storming of the bastille marking the beginnings of the french revolution and the publication of the communist manifesto by karl marx, signaling the widespread political upheaval in europe. In the short century between 1914 and 1991, the world has been convulsed by two. Dividing the century into the age of catastrophe, 19141950, the golden age, 19501973, and the landslide, 19731991, hobsbawm marshals a vast array of data into a volume of unparalleled inclusiveness, vibrancy, and insight, a work that ranks with his classics the age of empire and the age of revolution. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. The age of capital examines the years 1848 1875 and is a work of synthesis. Eric hobsbawm 19172012 was a british marxist historian and author who enjoyed a radical leftist following. Jan 03, 2012 the age of extremes 19141991 eric hobsbawm. 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.
The book by its nature is more than just historical analysis, with. Despite hobsbawms virtuosityor, perhaps, partly because of itthe age of revolution was largely ignored by american academics. A history of the world, 19141991 01 by hobsbawm, eric isbn. Eric hobsbawm has written a book which has been rightly acclaimed as setting the standard for accounts of the twentieth century. But its an impressive number all the same, and an inescapable reminder that when we return to the age of revolution we are dealing with a very old book. He is considered one of the worlds bestknown historians. After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the. Feb 21, 2012 the age of total war taken from part one of the book the age of extremes by eric hobsbawm is a discussion of how the concept of war has changed with the turn of the twentieth century.
I doubt that we shall get a more penetrating and politically valuable account. The topics on which hobsbawm focuses are the advent of total war, the russian revolution. Eric hobsbawm combines a historians store of information with the analysis of a sociologist, psychologist, philosopher. A history of the world 19141991 takes as its subject matter what its author, eric j. Part of eric hobsbawms epic fourvolume history of the modern world, along with the age of capitalism, the age of empire, and the age of extremes. Age of extremes is broadly chronological, but does not offer a narrative of events, instead tackling broad themes in nineteen largely selfcontained chapters. Eric hobsbawm historian age of revolution capital empire. The people of these colonies were highly illiterate and english speakers were even less in. He developed the influential concept of the invention of tradition, dissected nationalism, studied a variety of aspects of working class culture from banditry and bread riots to jazz, and, above all, delineated the creation of the modern. Hobsbawm had been a longstanding member of a number of communist organizations, including the communist party of great britain no, not that one, and was known as a longstanding apologist for sovietstyle communism. The age of total war taken from part one of the book the age of extremes by eric hobsbawm is a discussion of how the concept of war has changed with the turn of the twentieth century.
Sites like sparknotes with a the age of extremes study guide or cliff notes. After reading age of extremes, kremlinologist robert conquest concluded that hobsbawm suffers from a massive reality denial regarding the ussr, and john gray, though praising his work on the nineteenth century, has described hobsbawm s writings on the post1914 period as banal in the extreme. Oct 01, 2012 for many, perhaps most, readers, the standout will be the sweeping fourpart overview of european history from the french revolution to the soviet collapse that hobsbawm launched with age of. 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.
The age of revolution is eric hobsbawm s survey of western europe during the years between 1789 and 1848. In it, hobsbawm comments on what he sees as the disastrous failures of state socialism, capitalism, and nationalism. The sciences reason and society towards revolution from peace to war epilogue tables maps notes further reading index ix xiii i 3 34 56. As such, he focuses heavily on intellectual and economic developments that occurred during his period of study 18751914 and eschews a detailed recapitulation of high politics in favor of an. Full text of eric hobsbawm age of extremes 1914 1991 see other formats. Karen robinson the historian eric hobsbawm, who has died aged 95, is rightly being mourned as a great intellectual of modern times. How it was that one society, europe, came to dominate the world, but could not resolve its own internal contradictions, is the theme of eric hobsbawms the age of empire. Having read deeply and widely on economic and world history, hobsbawms study attempts to understand the era in.
Celebrated historian professor eric hobsbawm talks to michael ignatieff about his book age of extremes. The late show eric hobsbawm age of extremes 24 october. Eric hobsbawm ranks among the most prolific and most influential british historians of the entire postwar era. 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. Hobsbawm, calls the short twentieth century, ranging from the start of world war one to the breakup of the soviet union. The age of extremes summary and analysis like sparknotes. Eric hobsbawm changed how we think about culture art and.
Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of eric hobsbawm s the age of extremes. Buy age of extremes the short twentieth century, 19141991 new ed by hobsbawm, eric isbn. Hobsbawm is a provocative guide to the short twentieth century. Being a jew living in berlin at the time of hitlers rise to power left hobsbawm little chance to shy away from the defining. The age of empire the politics of democracy workers of the world waving flags. He also discusses his childhood in central europe, his loyalty. For many, perhaps most, readers, the standout will be the sweeping fourpart overview of european history from the french revolution to the soviet collapse that hobsbawm launched with age of. Eric hobsbawm has produced a superb overview of the middle threequarters of. Full text of eric hobsbawm age of extremes 1914 1991. After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the movement first. The book trails world history from the outbreak of world war i to the collapse of the soviet. This was the point at which eric hobsbawm set out to publish a new book about marx with a. Between the world wars, the family moved first to vienna and then to berlin.
What do you get if you take mountains of data from a period of 25 years, thulp it, and collect all the resultant connections. A lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. 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. Early americanists certainly werent paying attention. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria to a middleclass jewish family in june 1917. Age of extremes the short twentieth century, 1914 1991 eric hobsbawm the text i have chosen to analyse for this essay is eric hobsbawms historical epic age of extremes the short twentieth century 1914 1991 the text, originally printed in 1994, seeks to present a thorough yet necessarily broad analysis and importantly explanation of the world albeit. The age of revolution is eric hobsbawms survey of western europe during the years between 1789 and 1848.
920 286 397 166 606 800 1510 290 1105 1466 925 305 917 417 429 852 1199 638 289 1143 508 148 91 426 781 678 120 440 1329 746 1333 1261 71 160 1106 81 332 1060 482 538 458 1491 1396