Few historians have done more to change the way we see the history of modern times than Eric Hobsbawm. 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. On History brings together for the first time Hobsbawm's most important writings on the study and practice of history, including several essays published here for the first time. Ranging from early considerations of "history from below" and the "progress" of history, to recent speculations on the relevance of the study of history and the responsibility of the historian, On History reflects Hobsbawm's lifelong concern with the relations between past, present, and future. A monumental testament to the importance of studying history, On History is an essential work from one of our preeminent thinkers.

Author Biography

Eric Hobsbawm was born in Alexandria in 1917 and educated in Austria, Germany and England. He taught at Birkbeck College, University of London, and then at the New School for Social Research in New York. 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." Eric Hobsbawm died in 2012.