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Pessoas extraordinárias. Resistência, rebelião e jazz
Eric Hobsbawm, the eminent English labor historian, is concerned here with "the sort of people whose names are usually unknown to anyone outside their family and neighbors"--the machinists, grocers, bus conductors, and bartenders who make many small worlds go around. In a series of essays, he looks into the role of shoemakers in European politics (cobblers being a particularly left-leaning lot), the influence of Luddite machine breakers on the labor movement, the abortive union of students and trade unionists in the May 1968 uprising in France, and jazz music, which he considers to be an idiom of the laboring class. These unknown people, in Hobsbawm's view, have made uncommon contributions to their times and are too little honored, even by the international celebration called May Day, the origins of which he traces in an especially fine essay. --Gregory MacNamee
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Eric J. Hobsbawm
215 books1,714 followersEric John Ernest Hobsbawm was a British historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism and nationalism. His best-known works include his tetralogy about what he called the "long 19th century" (The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848, The Age of Capital: 1848–1875 and The Age of Empire: 1875–1914) and the "short 20th century" (The Age of Extremes), and an edited volume that introduced the influential idea of "invented traditions". A life-long Marxist, his socio-political convictions influenced the character of his work.
Hobsbawm was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and spent his childhood mainly in Vienna and Berlin. Following the death of his parents and the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, Hobsbawm moved to London with his adoptive family. After serving in the Second World War, he obtained his PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. In 1998, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour. He was president of Birkbeck, University of London, from 2002 until his death. In 2003, he received the Balzan Prize for European History since 1900, "for his brilliant analysis of the troubled history of 20th century Europe and for his ability to combine in-depth historical research with great literary talent."
Hobsbawm was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and spent his childhood mainly in Vienna and Berlin. Following the death of his parents and the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, Hobsbawm moved to London with his adoptive family. After serving in the Second World War, he obtained his PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. In 1998, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour. He was president of Birkbeck, University of London, from 2002 until his death. In 2003, he received the Balzan Prize for European History since 1900, "for his brilliant analysis of the troubled history of 20th century Europe and for his ability to combine in-depth historical research with great literary talent."
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 17, 2008
I should have flipped through this more but was in a hurry and it was on sale, so I picked it up. I can only blame myself for what I got.
The book is a collection of essays, reviews and other prior works by the author. I was under the impression from the index that this book would give new or interesting insights into the topics listed, but was greatly disappointed. Most of these essays read like reference papers citing other works and showing his knowledge, but doing little for the reader.
The last hundred pages were more interesting and redeemed it a little, but there are much better books out there on these topics, so I would pass on this one.
The book is a collection of essays, reviews and other prior works by the author. I was under the impression from the index that this book would give new or interesting insights into the topics listed, but was greatly disappointed. Most of these essays read like reference papers citing other works and showing his knowledge, but doing little for the reader.
The last hundred pages were more interesting and redeemed it a little, but there are much better books out there on these topics, so I would pass on this one.
January 21, 2020
Once again, I chose the wrong Hobsbawm title which is more a reflection on my ignorance than any failing on the part of the author. This was written as independent essays, written at different times to be published in different periodicals for different but in all cases specialized audiences. Given that I'm not any one of those specialized audiences, it was difficult for me to gain much from the readings. Hobsbawm's uncommon people are a curious bunch, not at all what I was expecting. There were peasants, a bandit, a few jazzmen & jazzmen, Christopher Columbus, Roy Cohn & a few others that I'm not even recalling at the moment. Probably I did more in the way of turning pages than understanding with a few exceptions.
November 30, 2016
‘Uncommon People’ has taken me a long time and not a little effort to get through. There is no strong thread linking all the chapters, although they are grouped by broad themes. However, the switch from one theme to another is not signposted in the text, as it is in the contents page. This results in some disorienting shifts, for example from a potted biography of a Cold War fixer to the history of jazz. Moreover, it resulted in my levels of interest varying markedly according to what Hobsbawm happened to be discussing. In general, I found the biographical chapters less enjoyable as his personal judgements always appeared so harsh. The sections on peasants were somewhat colourless, possibly because he didn’t define peasant to my satisfaction. On the other hand, I enjoyed the early chapters on political shoemakers and the variation in labour traditions between Britain and France. Later chapters on guerrilla warfare and May 1968 were also very interesting. The final 80 pages on jazz were of only indirect interest to me, although I am pleased to now know something about how jazz became popular in the US and Europe. I still cannot really fathom, however, why all these short pieces were lumped together in one 400+ page book. The title is not deceptive so much as overwhelmingly general: yes, all the chapters are about people of some kind. That doesn’t narrow it down much.
September 24, 2018
I feel like while everything in here is good to some extent and may interest a wide variety of readers, there's no rhyme or reason to why they are collected together. Some excellent essays on labor movements in 19th century Europe in the first half--the one about destruction of machinery as a strike tactic was really good--as well as some fascinating subjects that would never have occurred to me to even think about, like why cobblers are so predominant among labor movements throughout history. Some essays are much too broad and historiographical when contrasted against the majority of the rest, which aren't so much bad as just drier and more academic, an unwelcome change of pace to the most focused pieces.
As the collection goes on an gets into American history (an obituary of Roy Cohn, for example) and jazz, the quality never quite goes away, but the focus and importance of the essays does. These are reprinted essays, good for their time maybe but not absolutely necessary for modern readers to return to. Some are academic and some are for a mass readership. It feels like the publishers were just trying to pad out the length, really, like there wasn't enough that Hobsbawm wrote about jazz to necessitate a whole essay collection so they just shoehorned it into the end of this one.
As the collection goes on an gets into American history (an obituary of Roy Cohn, for example) and jazz, the quality never quite goes away, but the focus and importance of the essays does. These are reprinted essays, good for their time maybe but not absolutely necessary for modern readers to return to. Some are academic and some are for a mass readership. It feels like the publishers were just trying to pad out the length, really, like there wasn't enough that Hobsbawm wrote about jazz to necessitate a whole essay collection so they just shoehorned it into the end of this one.
January 4, 2019
Lo mejor de este libro son los obituarios que Hobsbawm escribió sobre los jazzistas. Su segundo ensayo, “Zapateros políticos” también es bastante inspirador.
July 30, 2019
I must be getting old as I found the essays on jazz more interesting than on wider radical politics. Stand out essay however, was on the radical shoemakers of Europe.
Certainly of an age but well worth the time invested in Hobsbawm's selection of interests and passions.
Certainly of an age but well worth the time invested in Hobsbawm's selection of interests and passions.
December 30, 2024
Eric Hobsbawm’ın Sıra Dışı İnsanlar adlı eseri, sıradışı kişiliklerin hayatlarını derinlemesine inceleyerek tarihsel bağlamda önemli birer figür haline gelmiş bu insanları yeniden anlamamıza olanak tanıyor. Hobsbawm, her birini farklı yönleriyle ele alırken, bu insanların toplumsal, kültürel ve politik etkilerini gözler önüne seriyor.
Kitap, tarihsel şahsiyetlerin, bazen dönemin geneline etki etmiş büyük liderler, bazen de toplumlarındaki yerini küçücük farklarla değiştirmiş sıradışı bireyler olarak hayat bulmuş isimler olabileceğini gösteriyor. Hobsbawm, bilinen tarihsel figürlerden çok daha fazlasını anlatıyor; o, sadece kahramanların ya da ikonik kişiliklerin öykülerini değil, tarih boyunca sıradışı yollarla iz bırakmış bireylerin yaşamlarını da ele alıyor. Bu kişiler, toplumların düşünsel, kültürel ve politik yapıları üzerinde etkiler yaratmış, kendi alanlarında iz bırakmış, bazen de tarihin akışını değiştirmiş isimler.
Hobsbawm, her bir “sıra dışı” insanın arkasındaki düşünsel motivasyonları ve onları toplumda benzersiz kılan özellikleri çarpıcı bir şekilde tasvir ediyor. Kitap, biyografik bir anlatıdan çok, toplumsal değişim süreçlerine, bireylerin bu süreçlere kattığı farklı bakış açılarına dair bir panorama sunuyor. Hobsbawm’ın derin tarih bilgisi ve insanlık durumunu anlama becerisi, kitaba özel bir derinlik kazandırmış.
Sıra Dışı İnsanlar, tarihteki önemli kişilikleri ve onların topluma kattığı yenilikçi fikirleri keşfetmek isteyenler için son derece değerli bir okuma deneyimi sunuyor. Hobsbawm’ın sade ama etkili dili, bu sıradışı insanların hayatlarını hem okunabilir kılıyor hem de tarihe dair anlamlı bir derinlik katıyor. Kitap, yalnızca biyografik anlatım sunmakla kalmıyor, aynı zamanda düşünsel ve toplumsal bağlamda bu kişiliklerin etkilerini de sorguluyor.
Bu kitap, Hobsbawm’ın tarihsel analizleriyle zenginleşmiş, sıradışı hayatların arkasındaki toplumsal güç dinamiklerini anlamaya yönelik bir başvuru kaynağı olarak duruyor. Ancak belki de kitaba dair en güçlü nokta, bize sadece büyük ve tanınmış insanları değil, tarihe yön vermiş, sıradışı bir şekilde topluma dokunmuş insanların öykülerini sunması.
Kitap, tarihsel şahsiyetlerin, bazen dönemin geneline etki etmiş büyük liderler, bazen de toplumlarındaki yerini küçücük farklarla değiştirmiş sıradışı bireyler olarak hayat bulmuş isimler olabileceğini gösteriyor. Hobsbawm, bilinen tarihsel figürlerden çok daha fazlasını anlatıyor; o, sadece kahramanların ya da ikonik kişiliklerin öykülerini değil, tarih boyunca sıradışı yollarla iz bırakmış bireylerin yaşamlarını da ele alıyor. Bu kişiler, toplumların düşünsel, kültürel ve politik yapıları üzerinde etkiler yaratmış, kendi alanlarında iz bırakmış, bazen de tarihin akışını değiştirmiş isimler.
Hobsbawm, her bir “sıra dışı” insanın arkasındaki düşünsel motivasyonları ve onları toplumda benzersiz kılan özellikleri çarpıcı bir şekilde tasvir ediyor. Kitap, biyografik bir anlatıdan çok, toplumsal değişim süreçlerine, bireylerin bu süreçlere kattığı farklı bakış açılarına dair bir panorama sunuyor. Hobsbawm’ın derin tarih bilgisi ve insanlık durumunu anlama becerisi, kitaba özel bir derinlik kazandırmış.
Sıra Dışı İnsanlar, tarihteki önemli kişilikleri ve onların topluma kattığı yenilikçi fikirleri keşfetmek isteyenler için son derece değerli bir okuma deneyimi sunuyor. Hobsbawm’ın sade ama etkili dili, bu sıradışı insanların hayatlarını hem okunabilir kılıyor hem de tarihe dair anlamlı bir derinlik katıyor. Kitap, yalnızca biyografik anlatım sunmakla kalmıyor, aynı zamanda düşünsel ve toplumsal bağlamda bu kişiliklerin etkilerini de sorguluyor.
Bu kitap, Hobsbawm’ın tarihsel analizleriyle zenginleşmiş, sıradışı hayatların arkasındaki toplumsal güç dinamiklerini anlamaya yönelik bir başvuru kaynağı olarak duruyor. Ancak belki de kitaba dair en güçlü nokta, bize sadece büyük ve tanınmış insanları değil, tarihe yön vermiş, sıradışı bir şekilde topluma dokunmuş insanların öykülerini sunması.
August 14, 2017
Scelta molto discutibile ...
La scelta di fare a pezzi il testo principale e ricostruirlo con brani scelti (che per lo più parlano di socialismo) è mera operazione commerciale, molto discutibile e davvero molto poco onorevole. Ad ogni modo, ben pochi sono i testi qui contenuti che sono degni d'essere letti. Il primo che colpisce è una lungua disquisizione sui significati del lavoro in Gran Bretagna (e il sindacalismo), nel quale il traduttore ha l'arduo compito di sottrarre alla perdita di significato nella traduzione tutti i termini che Hobsbawm impiega nella sua lingua madre. Ovviamente non può non concludersi questo articolo con una critica personale dell'autore, sui mestieri che andranno a perdersi in futuro con una separazione progressiva del concetto che l'umano è il lavoro che svolge. E io oserei dire che la vita in primo luogo è mutamento, e in secondo luogo è una visione totalmente di sinistra, obsoleta e persino ottusa della vita. Gli altri articoli scelti sono per lo più persone che mi sembrano più che altro fuori dal loro contesto, non straordinarie, ma semplicemente differenti. Molto coerente invece il testo sulla guerra in Vietnam.
La scelta di fare a pezzi il testo principale e ricostruirlo con brani scelti (che per lo più parlano di socialismo) è mera operazione commerciale, molto discutibile e davvero molto poco onorevole. Ad ogni modo, ben pochi sono i testi qui contenuti che sono degni d'essere letti. Il primo che colpisce è una lungua disquisizione sui significati del lavoro in Gran Bretagna (e il sindacalismo), nel quale il traduttore ha l'arduo compito di sottrarre alla perdita di significato nella traduzione tutti i termini che Hobsbawm impiega nella sua lingua madre. Ovviamente non può non concludersi questo articolo con una critica personale dell'autore, sui mestieri che andranno a perdersi in futuro con una separazione progressiva del concetto che l'umano è il lavoro che svolge. E io oserei dire che la vita in primo luogo è mutamento, e in secondo luogo è una visione totalmente di sinistra, obsoleta e persino ottusa della vita. Gli altri articoli scelti sono per lo più persone che mi sembrano più che altro fuori dal loro contesto, non straordinarie, ma semplicemente differenti. Molto coerente invece il testo sulla guerra in Vietnam.
November 24, 2016
Having found some of his lengthier books a tad difficult to follow I found this book to have some perspicatious insights, particularly in Labour history and peasant revolutionism (his introduction to Marx's Per-Capitalist Formations is noted as a classic, so I guess this is not surprising. His defence of Jazz against some recent Marxist criticismes (e.g. that of Adorno) was interesting, and probably deserves to be read with Dyer's In Defense of Disco. Would definitely be a welcome guest at any ideal dinner party of mine.
April 12, 2021
A random selection with a strained attempt to make it feel coherent via short introductions - have been reading on and off for the last few days. A few interesting essays in here - but they range weirdly from very niche, classic history journal stuff through rambling LRB book "reviews" that are little more than summaries to an at once sweet and callous obituary for Billie Holiday of little more than a couple of sides. Feels like a late in life cash in, which is probably what it was.
August 15, 2023
This is essentially a collection of the author's essays published in journals and other works. Hobsbawm likes long sentences and uses a lot of commas. Though grammatically correct one can ge lost in what his is trying to say. He starts with Tom Paine and hits other parts of history and the common man's reactions to the advancement of industry etc. The latter part of the work provides "biographies" of jazz performers.
July 17, 2015
Uncommon People is a collection of Eric Hobsbawm’s essays spanning the majority of his long career, from the 1950s to the mid-1990s. It brings together a wide range of topics, collected under four headings: The Radical Tradition, Country People, Contemporary History and Jazz.
Under “The Radical Tradition”, there are essays addressing Thomas Paine, the Luddites, the radicalism of shoemakers, the difference between labour traditions in France and Britain, the development of a distinctive working class culture, the skilled manual wage worker in Victorian moral frameworks, the iconography of male and female representations in labour movements, the origins and history of May Day as a working class celebration, the relationship between socialism and the avant-garde, and Labour Party stalwart Harold Laski.
“Country People” includes two longer essays, one providing a general overview of peasant politics, and a second study of land occupations, as well as an essay on the Sicilian Mafia.
The rubric “Contemporary History” features pieces Hobsbawm wrote while the embers were still hot, with pieces on Vietnam and guerilla warfare, May 1968, and sexual liberation. As a result they tend to feel dated, though as contemporary reports are still of interest for this very reason.
Finally, the “Jazz” section contains half a dozen reviews and short writings on Sidney Bechet, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, jazz in Europe, jazz after 1960, and jazz’s relationship with blues and rock. A final essay, slotted under this Jazz heading, was written on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in America, and highlights the oft forgotten benefits and advances this event brought about, from the notion of a Utopia, to the development of a theory of evolution, and the spread of staple foodstuffs like potatoes and maize.
The problem with this collection is that being of such a broad spectrum, only a handful of the essays are likely to appeal to the reader. Some of the pieces, particularly the shorter jazz reviews and essays, are written in an easy, affable manner, whilst many of the essays on peasant and working class movements are far more technical and heavily footnoted, and really require a background understanding to get anything from them. Nevertheless there are plenty of gems here: the essay on the Luddites amongst other machine-breaking groups highlights how the word inherited has little to do with the motivations of those people; his coverage of the development of a distinctive working class culture highlights the symbolism of something as mundane as the flat cap; whilst the essay on the Vietnam war and guerilla warfare has interesting implications for modern day conflicts such as in Afghanistan.
Under “The Radical Tradition”, there are essays addressing Thomas Paine, the Luddites, the radicalism of shoemakers, the difference between labour traditions in France and Britain, the development of a distinctive working class culture, the skilled manual wage worker in Victorian moral frameworks, the iconography of male and female representations in labour movements, the origins and history of May Day as a working class celebration, the relationship between socialism and the avant-garde, and Labour Party stalwart Harold Laski.
“Country People” includes two longer essays, one providing a general overview of peasant politics, and a second study of land occupations, as well as an essay on the Sicilian Mafia.
The rubric “Contemporary History” features pieces Hobsbawm wrote while the embers were still hot, with pieces on Vietnam and guerilla warfare, May 1968, and sexual liberation. As a result they tend to feel dated, though as contemporary reports are still of interest for this very reason.
Finally, the “Jazz” section contains half a dozen reviews and short writings on Sidney Bechet, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, jazz in Europe, jazz after 1960, and jazz’s relationship with blues and rock. A final essay, slotted under this Jazz heading, was written on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in America, and highlights the oft forgotten benefits and advances this event brought about, from the notion of a Utopia, to the development of a theory of evolution, and the spread of staple foodstuffs like potatoes and maize.
The problem with this collection is that being of such a broad spectrum, only a handful of the essays are likely to appeal to the reader. Some of the pieces, particularly the shorter jazz reviews and essays, are written in an easy, affable manner, whilst many of the essays on peasant and working class movements are far more technical and heavily footnoted, and really require a background understanding to get anything from them. Nevertheless there are plenty of gems here: the essay on the Luddites amongst other machine-breaking groups highlights how the word inherited has little to do with the motivations of those people; his coverage of the development of a distinctive working class culture highlights the symbolism of something as mundane as the flat cap; whilst the essay on the Vietnam war and guerilla warfare has interesting implications for modern day conflicts such as in Afghanistan.
October 17, 2015
I have clearly mixed feelings about this book. While looking at the table of contents in a second hand book store I somehow missed that is was a collection of essays, rather old essays at that. At first I found this a positive as it made it very easy to read as bedtime reading - no need to remember a plot or various characters - but as I encountered topics that I was more interested in (revolution and jazz specifically) I found the short easy format a little disappointing. I wanted more!
I really enjoyed the section on jazz and the lady essay looking at the influence of the new world on the old. The earlier essays about labour movements did not excite me unfortunately.
My greatest criticism would be that much of the book seems very dated. These are not contemporary writings. In some instances this is not important, but in others it makes a significant difference.
Overall I like the authors writing style and enjoy the stimulation brought by his, at times controversial, leftist /communist views.
I really enjoyed the section on jazz and the lady essay looking at the influence of the new world on the old. The earlier essays about labour movements did not excite me unfortunately.
My greatest criticism would be that much of the book seems very dated. These are not contemporary writings. In some instances this is not important, but in others it makes a significant difference.
Overall I like the authors writing style and enjoy the stimulation brought by his, at times controversial, leftist /communist views.
April 11, 2021
A sampler of short essays by a noted historian, covering everything from European working-class history to articles on Jazz musicians. There is much of interest here, although a lot of the historical essays seem to be written for academics rather than the casual reader - there are a plethora of references to other events and texts outside of the present one which made the reading occasionally opaque.
June 20, 2015
Interesting collection of essays, well-researched and written. Some are sparkling, others more pedantic--four stars for the essay on why shoemakers were often political thinkers and leaders. Three and a half stars for the book overall.
December 19, 2020
Tercüme kalitesi bu makaleler için yeterli değildi. Okunması zor bir hale gelmiş.
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