The age of extremes summary and analysis like sparknotes. 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. Sites like sparknotes with a the age of extremes study guide or cliff notes. 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. Despite hobsbawms virtuosityor, perhaps, partly because of itthe age of revolution was largely ignored by american academics. Oct 01, 2012 eric s first political memory was in vienna in 1927, when workers burned down the palace of justice. Eric hobsbawm has produced a superb overview of the middle threequarters of the 20th century.
He is considered one of the worlds bestknown historians. His bestknown works include his trilogy about what he called the long 19th century the age of revolution. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of eric hobsbawm s the age of extremes. Being a jew living in berlin at the time of hitlers rise to power left hobsbawm little chance to shy away from the defining. After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the. In it, hobsbawm comments on what he sees as the disastrous failures of state socialism, capitalism, and nationalism.
In the short century between 1914 and 1991, the world has been convulsed by two. Erics first political memory was in vienna in 1927, when workers burned down the palace of justice. The age of revolution is eric hobsbawm s survey of western europe during the years between 1789 and 1848. 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. 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. The topics on which hobsbawm focuses are the advent of total war, the russian revolution. 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 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. First published in great britain by weidenfeld and nicolson ltd 1975 first published by. 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. Eric hobsbawms age of revolution the rational colonel. 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. 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.
He also discusses his childhood in central europe, his loyalty. The age of capital examines the years 1848 1875 and is a work of synthesis. The book by its nature is more than just historical analysis, with. The book trails world history from the outbreak of world war i to the collapse of the soviet. Eric hobsbawm historian age of revolution capital empire. Hobsbawm is a provocative guide to the short twentieth century. Eric hobsbawm combines a historians store of information with the analysis of a sociologist, psychologist, philosopher. The short twentieth century, 19141991 is a book by eric hobsbawm, published in 1994. For new students seeking a genuine overview, the flaws. Having read deeply and widely on economic and world history, hobsbawms study attempts to understand the era in. A history of the world 19141991 takes as its subject matter what its author, eric j. Full text of eric hobsbawm age of extremes 1914 1991 see other formats.
What do you get if you take mountains of data from a period of 25 years, thulp it, and collect all the resultant connections. The sciences reason and society towards revolution from peace to war epilogue tables maps notes further reading index ix xiii i 3 34 56. I doubt that we shall get a more penetrating and politically valuable account. 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. Eric hobsbawm has written a book which has been rightly acclaimed as setting the standard for accounts of the twentieth century. Buy age of extremes the short twentieth century, 19141991 new ed by hobsbawm, eric isbn. Eric hobsbawm ranks among the most prolific and most influential british historians of the entire postwar era. The age of empire the politics of democracy workers of the world waving flags. 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. Eric hobsbawm has produced a superb overview of the middle threequarters of.
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. Ideologically a lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. 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. Age of extremes the short twentieth century, 19141991. The people of these colonies were highly illiterate and english speakers were even less in. A lifelong marxist, his sociopolitical convictions influenced the character of his work. Hobsbawm, calls the short twentieth century, ranging from 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. Nations and nationalism whos who or the uncertainties of the bourgeoisie the new woman the arts transformed certainties undermined. The topics on which hobsbawm focuses are the advent of total war, the russian revolution, the great depression, the end of liberalism and the. About the author born in 1917, eric hobsbawm was educated in austria, germany, and england.
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. Between the world wars, the family moved first to vienna and then to berlin. 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. Full text of eric hobsbawm age of extremes 1914 1991. The age of revolution is eric hobsbawms survey of western europe during the years between 1789 and 1848. One describes the horrors of trench warfare, another the unbiased destruction caused by air attacks, and the final. 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. Hobsbawm, calls the short twentieth century, ranging from the start of world war one to the breakup of the soviet union. 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. Eric hobsbawm changed how we think about culture art and. As such, while hobsbawm had an illustrious career as an. 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.
One describes the horrors of trench warfare, another the unbiased destruction caused by air attacks, and. Eric hobsbawm 19172012 was a british marxist historian and author who enjoyed a radical leftist following. Karen robinson the historian eric hobsbawm, who has died aged 95, is rightly being mourned as a great intellectual of modern times. 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 begins the chapter with quotes detailing the casualties and senselessness of war. The late show eric hobsbawm age of extremes 24 october. The extremes of age or how stalinists effortlessly become democrats a. Age of extremes is broadly chronological, but does not offer a narrative of events, instead tackling broad themes in nineteen largely selfcontained chapters. Please see the supplementary resources provided below for other helpful content related to this book. A bracing and magisterial work from a rich and acerbic mind, adds. 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. After all, hobsbawm was one of the stalwarts of the british communist party who metamorphosed along with the movement first. Nov 06, 2012 celebrated historian professor eric hobsbawm talks to michael ignatieff about his book age of extremes. A history of the world, 19141991 01 by hobsbawm, eric isbn.
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. Jan 03, 2012 the age of extremes 19141991 eric hobsbawm. Eric hobsbawm was born in alexandria to a middleclass jewish family in june 1917. This was the point at which eric hobsbawm set out to publish a new book about marx with a. 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.
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