Episodes: A Memory Book

by Michael Baxandall

Presenting a mesmerizing picture both of British intellectual life in the 1940's and ‘50's and the mental, emotional, and cultural formation of a man destined to transform many aspects of that world over the next 40 years, Episodes is both a gripping story and a vividly analytic tour de force. From early childhood in Cardiff and the valleys of South Wales to school and adolescence in Manchester and more, the book brilliantly recaptures the formation of the young man who finally decides not to write novels but to become a scholar. First recounting, in coruscating detail, life and work with John Pope-Hennessy at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and then narrating the debate and final acceptance of an invitation from the Warburg Institute at London University, Episodes shows the formation of the extraordinarily learned and original mature scholar. A personal testimony, a spellbinding series of vignettes and characterizations of famous and infamous contemporaries, and a contribution to the cultural history of the mid-20th century, this is an essential and unforgettable book.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

Art historian who developed the theory of period eye. He worked as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London as well as teaching at the Warburg Institute and the University of California.

Reviews

[Sam Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Baxandall’s books on painting. His object here, the depiction of a mind reflecting on its memories, is fascinating. And his reflections on memory are indeed interesting, as are the biographical details one ekes out. But he had no interest in telling stories or creating a structure that would sustain protracted involvement, so this book must be relegated to minor status as the description of a life or a mind.