Troublemaker: The Life and History of A.J.P. Taylor

by Kathleen Burk

Popular, prolific, and impassioned, British historian A. J. P. Taylor (1906-1990) was also outspoken, controversial, and quarrelsome. Taylor’s many books, including The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, The Origins of the Second World War, and English History 1914-1945, changed the way history was written and read. His legendary television lectures, delivered live and unscripted, brought history to a huge popular audience. In this masterful biography, Kathleen Burk provides a perceptive account of the life and achievements of Britain’s most famous twentieth-century historian. Burk draws on her personal acquaintance with Taylor in his later years and on an array of previously untapped archival materials to analyze the successes, failures, and controversies of Taylor’s life as historian, Oxford don, broadcast journalist, husband, and friend.The author sets Taylor’s professional work in the context of the development of history in England during the century, and she traces the relations between his writings and his reactions to domestic and foreign politics. Her account of Taylor’s years at Oxford explores the customs and rituals of the academic community, his colleagues, and the successive crises that beset him personally and professionally. The book also assesses Taylor’s political activities and his self-described role as an “impotent socialist,” his development as a journalist and broadcaster, previously unknown financial aspects of his freelance activities, and his private upheavals, in particular his failed marriages.

Genres: Biography

Paperback

First published January 11, 2001

About the author

Kathleen Mildred Burk is Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London

Reviews

[Jeremy Raper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally read partially for pleasure, then as part of my senior thesis research. As far as biographies go, this is OK - but I never got a sense the author really captured the essential Taylor. Sisman's biography is considerably better and was published earlier (a bit of an indictment of Burk's work).

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intricate, complex and disturbing biography. That combination is required to explore A.J.P. Taylor. I have long admired his work. I 'grew up' reading his books while completing a European history degree in Australia. He wrote with relish. He was naughty. He was contrary. He was brutal. He was - indeed - a troublemaker.

Professor Burk was A.J.P Taylor's last graduate student. She was able to capture remarkable components of his career that other biographers and reviewers have not. She explored how he made his money, tracking his journalism and broadcasting career. She also revealed his brittleness. His hyper-confidence. His capacity to not receive feedback and scrutiny of his work. His inability to acknowledge errors.

A.J.P. Taylor changed history. While his profile - today - has dimmed, he transformed our historiography of the Second World War. He also became 'an intellectual on the telly' - again a valuable service.

But. But. He was married three times. And they were all messy marriages. And - in two cases - messy divorces. There remains 'a woman problem' through his career. He was a man of his time. But still. But still. There are moments in his life that remain horrific. This biography does not gloss or minimize these moments.

The relationship with his third wife, the historian Eva Haraszti-Taylor, remains disturbing. They met in 1960 and were married in 1976. When - finally - he proposed, she asked him about her 'duties' as a wife. Could she continue her research and writing? Could she visit her sons? She wanted a sense of the shape of their lives.

A.J.P. Taylor responded with "you have to open your legs" (page 353).

As with so many academic couples of the time, her life, career, writing and researched were parked for the supposedly 'higher needs' of a husband.

It is always important to place academics - and all citizens - in their time and place, and not teleologically read the past through the present. But if the personal is political - if the personal is intellectual - then these matters must be considered in the revisioning of Taylor in our present. Professor Burk has configured a deep, expansive and provocative biography to commence this task.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has been compared, unfavorably, to the Sisman biography, but I consider this one superior. Burk knew Taylor and writes about how he made his money and his historical writings. For example, she goes into Taylor's "origins of World war II" in more depth. And unlike Sisman, she doesn't take HRT's side.

BTW, "Origins" was controversial in the 50s but few charged AJP with antisemitism. AJP had been a friend and star pupil of L. Bernstein-Namier and Taylor violently anti-Nazi and pro-war in the 1930s and 1940s**. He was also, a very strong Socialist.

However, like the Trevor-Roper bio, I can't give this 3 stars, since academics don't live exciting lives. Even AJP Taylor, who had his share of feuds and controversy, didn't do much.

Most Interesting Tidbit: Isiah Berlin refused to participate in Martin Gilbert's book of essays on AJP Taylor. Per Berlin, he'd broken off relations with AJP and considered him antisemitic. And was suprised that the Jewish Gilbert approved of AJP Taylor. It seems Berlin found Taylor insufficiently Pro-Israel (like HG Wells) and disliked Taylor's approval of Jewish-Gentile intermarriage.

** = like many anti-nazi journalists/intellectuals AJP Taylor perferred to fight the Germans from the safety of his desk, rather than in battle.

[M Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating biography of an author who had initially entranced me and then puzzled me with his unreliability. Burk was a former student of his and clearly understands his overwhelming egotism quite well. He was a spectacular talent, but much less of a man.