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James Hawes

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James Hawes


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James Hawes grew up in Gloucestershire, Edinburgh and Shropshire. He took a First in German at Hertford College, Oxford, then did a postgrad theatre studies in Cardiff, Wales. Having failed as an actor, he worked as an English teacher in Spain. In 1985-6 he was in charge of CADW excavations at the now-UNESCO World Heritage site of Blaenavon Ironworks. He took a PhD on Nietzsche and German literature 1900-1914 at University College, London 1987-90, then lectured in German at Maynooth University (Ollscoil Mhá Nuad) in Ireland between 1989 and 1991 before doing so at Sheffield University and Swansea University.

James has published six novels, all with Jonathan Cape. He turned to creative non-fiction with a Kafka anti-biography, Excavating Kafka ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.68 · 13,970 ratings · 1,456 reviews · 38 distinct works • Similar authors
The Shortest History of Ger...
3.70 avg rating — 9,241 ratings — published 2017 — 43 editions
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The Shortest History of Eng...
3.70 avg rating — 3,128 ratings — published 2019 — 23 editions
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A White Merc with Fins
3.70 avg rating — 543 ratings — published 1996
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Rancid Aluminum
2.93 avg rating — 349 ratings — published 1997 — 10 editions
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Why You Should Read Kafka B...
3.53 avg rating — 211 ratings — published 2008 — 12 editions
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Speak For England
3.36 avg rating — 182 ratings — published 2005 — 2 editions
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Dead Long Enough
3.19 avg rating — 84 ratings — published 2000 — 6 editions
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Englanders and Huns
3.85 avg rating — 68 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions
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Brilliant Isles: Art That M...
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2022 — 3 editions
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My Little Armalite
3.71 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions
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More books by James Hawes…
Quotes by James Hawes  (?)
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“In the summer of 1913, Kafka bangs endlessly on about 'necessity,' that favorite concept of every German since Hegel who ever planned to do something morally dubious.”
― James Hawes, Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life
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“A quick look at the map of Europe suggests that Kafka either had a profound ignorance of geography or a profound grasp of emotional game playing.”
― James Hawes, Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life
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“It’s a seminal moment in the history of Germany and Europe. Stopping at the Elbe is not a normal military-political decision; it’s one dictated by higher powers. Crossing the Rhine is fine; but the Elbe marks the end of reasonable ambition.”
― James Hawes, The Shortest History of Germany: From Roman Frontier to the Heart of Europe - A Retelling for Our Times (Shortest History): From Julius Caesar to Angela Merkel―A Retelling for Our Times
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