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Hugh Trevor-Roper: The Biography
by
Adam Sisman
Hugh Trevorwar feuds, and his secret and passionate affair with an older, married woman. A study in both success and failure, Adam Sisman's biography is a revealing and personal story of a remarkable life.
Hardcover, 598 pages
Published
by George Weidenfeld & Nicholson
(first published December 6th 2011)
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Hugh Trevor Roper was the reason I chose to study history at University. Unfortunately, like him, I went to Peterhouse (he as Master, I, as lowly undergrad) and we actually overlapped by a year. Our only encounter was a written apology from me for some drunken misdemeanor; something else, I discovered from this book, we had in common. Three years earlier, I had eulogised him to Maurice Cowling during my entrance interview and may thereby have contributed to Cowling's recommending him for Master...more
Although I thought this biography frequently served up too much information, I couldn't stop reading it. Trevor-Roper left behind a pile of 80-percent finished manuscripts when he died, and he never really wrote the great book in his field (early modern England) that was expected of him. But, through his essays, mostly, he put his stamp on many a major historiographical debate of his day. He knew everyone and argued with almost all of them. I was in graduate school while T-R was still actively t...more
Jan 31, 2012
Adrian
added it
Absorbing life of great British historian. Sisman claims to have been a friend of T-R but he's fair in doling out blame and credit in what was the life of a public intellectual. T-R's interests and talents, not to mention a pen frequently dipped in acid, led him into many scrapes. It also meant that for much of his career he was unable to finish any book he started to write. Sisman probably goes overboard covering in detail the many university post elections T-R was involved in- it's always a su...more
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Adam Sisman’s biography of English historian Hugh Trevor-Roper harkens us back to a time when the writing and teaching of history mattered. From the 1930s through the 1980s the world was highly ideological, and the interpretation of even the distant past was hotly contested as being intimately relevant to contemporary events surrounding the rise of first fascism and then communism. As the gladiators in this particular coliseum, certain historians became celebrities in a manner not seen before or...more
An engrossing account of academic life in Oxford and Cambridge. The intrigues and infighting among the ‘dons’ described by the author made me thankful to be at the University of Chicago. It is a very good ‘read,’ perfect for a long trip. - R. H. Helmholz
Being a historian and living in Oxford (with a partner at Christ Church) this seemed to me to be a must-read. I knew very little of HT-R before reading the book and it was an enjoyable read throughout. Sisman has written this book well and I couldn't put it down.
Pre-read review.
Very interesting review at the following site.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/maga...
Very interesting review at the following site.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/maga...
Excellent biography of a man who was one of the top historians.
However, his ego, his disdain for some colleagues, and a certain
"so-called" diary led to his down fall.
However, his ego, his disdain for some colleagues, and a certain
"so-called" diary led to his down fall.
A very readable and interesting biography of the historian that mistakenly thought (at first, and under huge pressure from Rupert Murdoch) that a bunch of notebooks presented as Hitler's diaries were authentic.
I appreciated the insights the book provides in university politics and the quirky college system as practised in the UK. Especially the description of the goings on at 'Peterhouse' college before and during the time that Trevor-Rope was master there are hilarious and almost incredible. Th
I have to say I sympathize with Trevor-Roper's inability to finish a major project. While I don't have nearly his breadth of learning, I do have his breadth of interests and it can be fatal to large projects. I had to laugh reading his early history--my early fantasy of academic life personified in reading and study with little teaching! Alas, such lives are few today....
A fascinating look at a complex man who inspired both anger and admiration--and sometimes in the same people. It says somethin...more
A fascinating look at a complex man who inspired both anger and admiration--and sometimes in the same people. It says somethin...more
A must.
Apr 18, 2013
Jo
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Jan 06, 2013
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Dec 12, 2012
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Oct 21, 2012
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