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Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History
Eric Hobsbawm's works have had a nearly incalculable effect across generations of readers and students, influencing more than the practice of history but also the perception of it. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, of second-generation British parents, Hobsbawm was orphaned at age fourteen in 1931. Living with an uncle in Berlin, he experienced the full force of world economic depression, and in the charged reaction to it in Germany was forced to choose between Nazism and Communism, which was no choice at all. Hobsbawm's lifelong allegiance to Communism inspired his pioneering work in social history, particularly the trilogy for which he is most famous-- The Age of Revolution , The Age of Capital , and The Age of Empire --covering what he termed "the long nineteenth century" in Europe. Selling in the millions of copies, these held sway among generations of readers, some of whom went on to have prominent careers in politics and business.
In this comprehensive biography of Hobsbawm, acclaimed historian Richard Evans (author of The Third Reich Trilogy , among other works) offers both a living portrait and vital insight into one of the most influential intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Using exclusive and unrestricted access to the unpublished material, Evans places Hobsbawm's writings within their historical and political context. Hobsbawm's Marxism made him a controversial figure but also, uniquely and universally, someone who commanded respect even among those who did not share-or who even outright rejected-his political beliefs. Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History gives us one of the 20th century's most colorful and intellectually compelling figures. It is an intellectual life of the century itself.
In this comprehensive biography of Hobsbawm, acclaimed historian Richard Evans (author of The Third Reich Trilogy , among other works) offers both a living portrait and vital insight into one of the most influential intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Using exclusive and unrestricted access to the unpublished material, Evans places Hobsbawm's writings within their historical and political context. Hobsbawm's Marxism made him a controversial figure but also, uniquely and universally, someone who commanded respect even among those who did not share-or who even outright rejected-his political beliefs. Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History gives us one of the 20th century's most colorful and intellectually compelling figures. It is an intellectual life of the century itself.
800 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2019
49 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Richard J. Evans
67 books847 followersRichard J. Evans is one of the world's leading historians of modern Germany. He was born in London in 1947. From 2008 to 2014 he was Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University, and from 2020 to 2017 President of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He served as Provost of Gresham College in the City of London from 2014 to 2020. In 1994 he was awarded the Hamburg Medal for Art and Science for cultural services to the city, and in 2015 received the British Academy Leverhulme Medal, awarded every three years for a significant contribution to the Humanities or Social Sciences. In 2000 he was the principal expert witness in the David Irving Holocaust Denial libel trial at the High Court in London, subsequently the subject of the film Denial. His books include Death in Hamburg (winner of the Wolfson History Prize), In Defence of History, The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power, and The Third Reich at War. His book The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815-1914, volume 7 of the Penguin History of Europe, was published in 2016. His most recent books are Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History (2019) and The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination (2020). In 2012 he was knighted for services to scholarship.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 1, 2020
Terrific biography of a fascinating historian whose life intertwined with crucial events and dynamics of the 20th and early 21st centuries, and written by a masterful historian. It is a long book, at times too long, but through most of the nearly 700 pages I felt completely engaged by it. Particularly fascinating are the discussions of Hobsbawm's struggles with the Communist Party in the 1950s and 1960s, and his loyalty to the ideas and principles of communism even as he fights the party's efforts to squash dissent. For any scholar, particularly historians, the discussions of how Hobsbawm saw his role as historian and public intellectual, will be of great interest as well. The book documents Hobsbawm's interactions with so many other intellectuals and artists, including of course the luminaries of left history, from Christopher Hill and EP Thompson to David Montgomery--even his young TA Aldo Lauria Santiago gets a mention! The book reminded me how powerful a framing for history is provided by one person's life. Makes me want to write a biography--now there's a sign of a great book.
April 7, 2020
Hooray for British Marxist Historians !
Eric Hobsbawm's life spanned the twentieth century. He was very influenced by his boyhood years in Vienna and Berlin and as a young jew in face of the rowing Nazi threat, he embraced the Youth Communist Party with emotion. That bond he never deserted, it gave him a structure for living and eventual writing history too. He was pre-eminent among British Marxist Historians. It was a discipline and a philosophy with which to critique Capitalism. And combining this approach with more recent studies in social history was as successful as it could be.
Of course today we have a far more devastating critique of Capitalism: Climate change.
But Eric was never dogmatic, his wide travel experience and reading in a myriad of languages would never allow that and when confronted by obstacles in the British Communist Party he aligned far more closely with the Non Stalinist Italian CP, which was more successful electorally and had been part of governing coalitions.
I cannot wait now to begin EP Thompson's The Making of theEnglish Working Class
Eric Hobsbawm's life spanned the twentieth century. He was very influenced by his boyhood years in Vienna and Berlin and as a young jew in face of the rowing Nazi threat, he embraced the Youth Communist Party with emotion. That bond he never deserted, it gave him a structure for living and eventual writing history too. He was pre-eminent among British Marxist Historians. It was a discipline and a philosophy with which to critique Capitalism. And combining this approach with more recent studies in social history was as successful as it could be.
Of course today we have a far more devastating critique of Capitalism: Climate change.
But Eric was never dogmatic, his wide travel experience and reading in a myriad of languages would never allow that and when confronted by obstacles in the British Communist Party he aligned far more closely with the Non Stalinist Italian CP, which was more successful electorally and had been part of governing coalitions.
I cannot wait now to begin EP Thompson's The Making of theEnglish Working Class
April 12, 2022
I read Hobsbawm's memoir, Interesting Times, a while ago which I found surprisingly dull and uninvolving, but this volume was much more interesting and did his fascinating, long and varied life far more justice. Evans clearly does not appear to agree with his politics but is, rightly, in awe of his academic breadth, writing style and brilliance at synthesis, which made him into a best-selling author eventually. While not exactly a hagiography, the book is unashamedly favourable to Hobsbawm, despite pointing out that many of his theories have not stood up well to the test of time.
EH was born in Alexandria, then moved to Europe (Vienna and Berlin), losing both parents before he was 14. During the conflictual Weimar period, with economic crisis and Nazis fighting Communists in the streets, he became attracted to Communism (he was Jewish by ancestry so could not be a Nazi) – the family then moved to England. EH was brilliant at school and got a scholarship to go to Cambridge – by the time he went, at 19, he had it seems read much of the literary canon in English, French and German, and the key works of Marx. At Cambridge, he also shone even among the elite competition there, and was regarded as brilliant. His Marxism was solidified here, although that was less unusual at the time (ironically, he was surveilled by the security services for his communism later, but the actual Cambridge Soviet spies were not). He obtained a 'starred' Double First and then went on to do doctoral research at Cambridge, on labour history. His doctoral research was on the Fabians, and then he did work on economic history, and published in some journals, but was also interested in writing for a wider audience, and did some work for the BBC (but again, was scuppered by his politics).
Later, Eric moved to Birkbeck College in London (a college for working people, essentially), and then, with other members of The Communist Historians Group set up the new history journal 'Past & Present'. Initially, this was supposed to be a journal challenging general historiographical orthodoxy but was perceived as purely CP in line, and struggled, until the avowed split with the Soviet line in the mid-1950s and then went on to be seen as the leading social history journal in the world, Evans says. The soft McCarthyism of the 1950s UK was more evident when EH tried to publish his first book, excitingly titled, The Rise of the Wage Worker, with Hutchinson, who initially offered him a contract but then rejected the actual Ms after peer review, primarily on the basis that it was ‘biased’ and contained views that were ‘objectionable’. EH pointed out that a Marxist historian was quite likely to write Marxist history and sought legal advice (!), to no avail. Interestingly, EH started writing Jazz columns for the New Statesman, under the pen name 'Francis Newton' (named after a communist jazz musician) and then would go on to publish his first book on this topic, 'The Jazz Scene'. (He was, however, quite conservative in his Jazz views, preferring Duke Ellington to Miles Davis.)
After publishing a more academic collection, 'Primitive Rebels', with MUP, Eric was approached by a well-known literary agent, David Higham, and this would lead to his more famous works being published. The first of his well-known general histories was The Age of Revolution, which cleverly introduced a Marxist view of history, along with a broad range of social history and social science, to a general readership, with great success – this was almost unprecedented at the time, Evans notes, and surely testament to his great facility as a writer, honed by his work as Francis Newton, as well as the vision of George Weidenfeld, his publisher (and his agent). The book must have sold well because, Evans recounts, Eric was then able to buy a three-storey house just off Hampstead Heath (in 2022 prices, around £4-5m or so) – the pejorative ‘Hampstead intellectual’ is no longer in wide use for obvious reasons.
Further successful books followed, and after the Age of Capital was released, in the early 70s, EH started to get some mainstream honours such as membership of the British Academy, and was highly paid as a result of his publishing royalties – Evans goes into some details about the sales and royalties of his books, including his discussions with his editor at W&N (which I found very interesting but which many might found a little unnecessary and tedious – his advances and subsidiary rights were especially good, with Latin American being a particularly good market for him especially Brazil, where some of his books would sell in the high tens of 1000s). As the book notes, EH was quite happy to be acknowledged by the Establishment, and allowed into the Atheneaum club, despite his Marxist beliefs, although he continued to be surveilled by MI5. He also lived a very ‘bourgeois’ life in Hampstead and there is a famous quote in the book about when writer Claire Tomlin asked him about this (‘if he ship is going down, you may as well go first class’); he also sent his son to a private school, the book reveals, which is perhaps not what a communist might be expected to do (though he was no Stalinist). His writing earnings would outpace his academic salary by 1978, the book tells us, and by 1989/90 he was earning £91K pa from writing alone. To put it in perspective, he got £2.2k from lecturing in 1988 and £19K from writing, which was probably unmatched by any other academic writer at that time (especially Marxists ones under MI5 watch). It is not likely that he would have earned that level of income had he published his works with more academic presses, I think it is fair to say (in fact, he published relatively few books with academic presses).
One of the most interesting sections of the book concerns Eric’s involvement with British (labour) politics in the 1980s onwards. Never a fan of Stalinist centralism, Eric’s leftist politics were heavily influenced by the thinker Gramsci and by the PSI (ltalian Communist Party) and the growth of what might be called Eurocommunism, which was more democratic and broader based than Stalinism or British labourism. EH also started writing for 'Marxism Today' in this period, at the behest of Martin Jacques, and getting involved in Labour Party politics - interestingly, he rejected the sectarian ‘hard-left’ Bennite politics in the early 80s and favoured a broader coalition to oppose the ‘bourgeois anarchism’ of Thatcherism, which was busily demolishing the postwar consensus and attacking the union movement. EH favoured a European style popular front opposition to the Thatcherite enemy, which brought him into conflict with many leftists and mainstream Labour leaders. EH’s view was that Thatcher wanted to destroy the labour movement for good, and a coalition of intellectuals, workers and the middle class was necessary to oppose this. The book considers EH to be the intellectual father of New Labour on this basis, though he did not like Blair’s market-driven policies much, in power (though he was a friend of Gordon Brown).
After formally retiring from Birkbeck, he produced the final ‘Age of’ work in the trilogy, 'Age of Empires'. This was also widely acclaimed but also criticised by feminists for its tokenistic chapter on gender issues, and also by others for its lack of accounting for the power of Nationalism in the era up to 1914 (he saw both as issues to be resolved by revolutionary social change). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, EH was often asked to justify his Communist views and continued to defend them, noting that he was politicised in Germany in 1931/32, the era of Nazism and economic collapse, when communism seemed the only bulwark against fascism. Presciently, he noted that the collapse of large empires often leads to chaos and nationalist violence, as it had done after the Hapsburg collapse. As a Marxist, EH of course regarded nations as elements of ‘false consciousness’ and historical mythmaking (an ‘invented tradition’ to quote the title of one of his edited volumes). His last major book, 'Age of Extremes' (a short history of the 20th century), published in 1994, was his best selling book of all, and generally critically acclaimed, though it was also criticised for its lack of focus on gender and its bias against the US (as the main driver of capitalism, and thereby of capitalist crisis, which the book was concerned about). Weirdly, EH was continually being asked to defend his beliefs in light of the Soviets’ human rights’ record (after the Cold War was over and ‘won’), as if he was the personally responsible for Soviet policy somehow. Evans notes one bizarre occasion when Sue Lawley interrogated EH about this on the radio show Desert Island Discs, which is not well known for its tough treatment of its guests. The final key book of his publishing career was the autobiography 'Interesting Times' – his editor apparently asked him to make it more personal and intimate, to use it as a way to justify and explain his beliefs, but the final product was a failure in that sense, being highly impersonal and, frankly, boring (though it sold well).
He died at 95 and was acclaimed by people from the left and right (including Niall Ferguson). Evans concludes by saying that he was a writer who worked as a historian, rather than the other way round, and that was probably the secret of his success – this book does not really get to the bottom of his unorthodox Marxism, although his last editor claimed that he got EH to admit that it was basically tribal, a response to the polarised politics of his youth in Germany but it seems more intellectual than that, as he seemed quite averse to the actual working class (who were surprisingly un-radical) and lived his life in the high-bourgeois manner, enjoying the trappings of his success.
This is very readable book, with a reasonable level of criticism aimed at his positions and books, and I was only slightly annoyed by all the celebrity-intellectual name dropping. But, the highest praise I can give is that it did make me want to re-read the ‘Age of’ books, if not the collection of impenetrable essays on Marxism.
EH was born in Alexandria, then moved to Europe (Vienna and Berlin), losing both parents before he was 14. During the conflictual Weimar period, with economic crisis and Nazis fighting Communists in the streets, he became attracted to Communism (he was Jewish by ancestry so could not be a Nazi) – the family then moved to England. EH was brilliant at school and got a scholarship to go to Cambridge – by the time he went, at 19, he had it seems read much of the literary canon in English, French and German, and the key works of Marx. At Cambridge, he also shone even among the elite competition there, and was regarded as brilliant. His Marxism was solidified here, although that was less unusual at the time (ironically, he was surveilled by the security services for his communism later, but the actual Cambridge Soviet spies were not). He obtained a 'starred' Double First and then went on to do doctoral research at Cambridge, on labour history. His doctoral research was on the Fabians, and then he did work on economic history, and published in some journals, but was also interested in writing for a wider audience, and did some work for the BBC (but again, was scuppered by his politics).
Later, Eric moved to Birkbeck College in London (a college for working people, essentially), and then, with other members of The Communist Historians Group set up the new history journal 'Past & Present'. Initially, this was supposed to be a journal challenging general historiographical orthodoxy but was perceived as purely CP in line, and struggled, until the avowed split with the Soviet line in the mid-1950s and then went on to be seen as the leading social history journal in the world, Evans says. The soft McCarthyism of the 1950s UK was more evident when EH tried to publish his first book, excitingly titled, The Rise of the Wage Worker, with Hutchinson, who initially offered him a contract but then rejected the actual Ms after peer review, primarily on the basis that it was ‘biased’ and contained views that were ‘objectionable’. EH pointed out that a Marxist historian was quite likely to write Marxist history and sought legal advice (!), to no avail. Interestingly, EH started writing Jazz columns for the New Statesman, under the pen name 'Francis Newton' (named after a communist jazz musician) and then would go on to publish his first book on this topic, 'The Jazz Scene'. (He was, however, quite conservative in his Jazz views, preferring Duke Ellington to Miles Davis.)
After publishing a more academic collection, 'Primitive Rebels', with MUP, Eric was approached by a well-known literary agent, David Higham, and this would lead to his more famous works being published. The first of his well-known general histories was The Age of Revolution, which cleverly introduced a Marxist view of history, along with a broad range of social history and social science, to a general readership, with great success – this was almost unprecedented at the time, Evans notes, and surely testament to his great facility as a writer, honed by his work as Francis Newton, as well as the vision of George Weidenfeld, his publisher (and his agent). The book must have sold well because, Evans recounts, Eric was then able to buy a three-storey house just off Hampstead Heath (in 2022 prices, around £4-5m or so) – the pejorative ‘Hampstead intellectual’ is no longer in wide use for obvious reasons.
Further successful books followed, and after the Age of Capital was released, in the early 70s, EH started to get some mainstream honours such as membership of the British Academy, and was highly paid as a result of his publishing royalties – Evans goes into some details about the sales and royalties of his books, including his discussions with his editor at W&N (which I found very interesting but which many might found a little unnecessary and tedious – his advances and subsidiary rights were especially good, with Latin American being a particularly good market for him especially Brazil, where some of his books would sell in the high tens of 1000s). As the book notes, EH was quite happy to be acknowledged by the Establishment, and allowed into the Atheneaum club, despite his Marxist beliefs, although he continued to be surveilled by MI5. He also lived a very ‘bourgeois’ life in Hampstead and there is a famous quote in the book about when writer Claire Tomlin asked him about this (‘if he ship is going down, you may as well go first class’); he also sent his son to a private school, the book reveals, which is perhaps not what a communist might be expected to do (though he was no Stalinist). His writing earnings would outpace his academic salary by 1978, the book tells us, and by 1989/90 he was earning £91K pa from writing alone. To put it in perspective, he got £2.2k from lecturing in 1988 and £19K from writing, which was probably unmatched by any other academic writer at that time (especially Marxists ones under MI5 watch). It is not likely that he would have earned that level of income had he published his works with more academic presses, I think it is fair to say (in fact, he published relatively few books with academic presses).
One of the most interesting sections of the book concerns Eric’s involvement with British (labour) politics in the 1980s onwards. Never a fan of Stalinist centralism, Eric’s leftist politics were heavily influenced by the thinker Gramsci and by the PSI (ltalian Communist Party) and the growth of what might be called Eurocommunism, which was more democratic and broader based than Stalinism or British labourism. EH also started writing for 'Marxism Today' in this period, at the behest of Martin Jacques, and getting involved in Labour Party politics - interestingly, he rejected the sectarian ‘hard-left’ Bennite politics in the early 80s and favoured a broader coalition to oppose the ‘bourgeois anarchism’ of Thatcherism, which was busily demolishing the postwar consensus and attacking the union movement. EH favoured a European style popular front opposition to the Thatcherite enemy, which brought him into conflict with many leftists and mainstream Labour leaders. EH’s view was that Thatcher wanted to destroy the labour movement for good, and a coalition of intellectuals, workers and the middle class was necessary to oppose this. The book considers EH to be the intellectual father of New Labour on this basis, though he did not like Blair’s market-driven policies much, in power (though he was a friend of Gordon Brown).
After formally retiring from Birkbeck, he produced the final ‘Age of’ work in the trilogy, 'Age of Empires'. This was also widely acclaimed but also criticised by feminists for its tokenistic chapter on gender issues, and also by others for its lack of accounting for the power of Nationalism in the era up to 1914 (he saw both as issues to be resolved by revolutionary social change). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, EH was often asked to justify his Communist views and continued to defend them, noting that he was politicised in Germany in 1931/32, the era of Nazism and economic collapse, when communism seemed the only bulwark against fascism. Presciently, he noted that the collapse of large empires often leads to chaos and nationalist violence, as it had done after the Hapsburg collapse. As a Marxist, EH of course regarded nations as elements of ‘false consciousness’ and historical mythmaking (an ‘invented tradition’ to quote the title of one of his edited volumes). His last major book, 'Age of Extremes' (a short history of the 20th century), published in 1994, was his best selling book of all, and generally critically acclaimed, though it was also criticised for its lack of focus on gender and its bias against the US (as the main driver of capitalism, and thereby of capitalist crisis, which the book was concerned about). Weirdly, EH was continually being asked to defend his beliefs in light of the Soviets’ human rights’ record (after the Cold War was over and ‘won’), as if he was the personally responsible for Soviet policy somehow. Evans notes one bizarre occasion when Sue Lawley interrogated EH about this on the radio show Desert Island Discs, which is not well known for its tough treatment of its guests. The final key book of his publishing career was the autobiography 'Interesting Times' – his editor apparently asked him to make it more personal and intimate, to use it as a way to justify and explain his beliefs, but the final product was a failure in that sense, being highly impersonal and, frankly, boring (though it sold well).
He died at 95 and was acclaimed by people from the left and right (including Niall Ferguson). Evans concludes by saying that he was a writer who worked as a historian, rather than the other way round, and that was probably the secret of his success – this book does not really get to the bottom of his unorthodox Marxism, although his last editor claimed that he got EH to admit that it was basically tribal, a response to the polarised politics of his youth in Germany but it seems more intellectual than that, as he seemed quite averse to the actual working class (who were surprisingly un-radical) and lived his life in the high-bourgeois manner, enjoying the trappings of his success.
This is very readable book, with a reasonable level of criticism aimed at his positions and books, and I was only slightly annoyed by all the celebrity-intellectual name dropping. But, the highest praise I can give is that it did make me want to re-read the ‘Age of’ books, if not the collection of impenetrable essays on Marxism.
August 15, 2021
This is a massive biography of a historian with an accordingly massive impact in the 20th century intellectual milieu. The author's access to friends, acquaintances, diaries and even intelligence reports provides him with material from which to weave a rich tapestry of Hobsbawm's life. It can at times be a little too dense, specially towards the later part, where publishing squabbles are scoured in maybe a bit too much detail. Then again, it is reflective of EJH's changing work life and involvement. There are also some times where the author's political sympathies seem to bend his perception of Hobsbawm's own, and some puzzling formulations about the relationship between his Marxism and his historical work.
Still. The book is fascinating in its scope and heartily recommended for those of us who have learned from probably the most important historian of the 20th century.
Still. The book is fascinating in its scope and heartily recommended for those of us who have learned from probably the most important historian of the 20th century.
September 1, 2019
Frábær bók. Merkilegast var, í ljósi þess hve ótrúlega vinsæll Hobsbawm varð, að lesa um þá mótspyrnu sem hann mætti í enska fræðasamfélaginu; hann varð að hírast í Birkbeck (fékk aldrei stöðu í Oxbridge), átti í erfiðleikum með að fá doktorsritgerðina samþykkta og var undir stöðugu eftirliti stjórnvalda vegna tengsla við Kommúnistaflokkinn.
Evans nær síðan að segja þessa sögu án mikilla inngripa - dagbækur og greinaskrif Hobsbawms njóta sín mjög vel.
Evans nær síðan að segja þessa sögu án mikilla inngripa - dagbækur og greinaskrif Hobsbawms njóta sín mjög vel.
June 29, 2025
Richard J. Evans realiza un trabajo monumental en esta biografía del historiador más influyente del siglo XX en términos de impacto popular, dado que logró integrar listas de best sellers poco frecuentes para el género de historia académica. Evans examinó correspondencia privada, diarios inéditos —incluso los escritos en la juventud—, documentos del MI5 (el servicio secreto británico que vigiló a Hobsbawm entre los años 40 y 60), y realizó entrevistas a familiares, amigos y colegas. Además, leyó innumerables entrevistas y materiales de archivo. Lei en internet que tardó cinco años en escribirlo y la verdad me parece muy poco tiempo.
Lo más impresionante es la impecable contextualización intelectual que logra: no solo reconstruye con rigor historiográfico los hechos de la vida de Hobsbawm, sino también su entorno político, académico e ideológico, desde la Guerra Civil Española hasta el comunismo británico. El resultado es una biografía que funciona también como una historia del siglo XX.
Es cierto que los aspectos personales de Hobsbawm, más allá de su infancia y adolescencia, quedan algo desdibujados, con apenas menciones a su matrimonio o sus hijos. Pero la riqueza intelectual del libro compensa esta limitación y te engancha, entramos en todos los debates intelectuales interesantes del siglo.
La traducción al español es excelente, aunque sorprende la cantidad de errores tipográficos en una edición de Crítica. Como nota personal, disfruté especialmente las referencias al jazz —Eric era un apasionado y un verdadero erudito en el tema—, y me llevo muchas recomendaciones musicales. En cambio, sus gustos literarios me resultaron muchísimo menos interesantes. Cuando tuvo que elegir un libro sin ser La Biblia o Shakespeare, eligió Neruda!!!Jamás lo habría imaginado.
Lo más impresionante es la impecable contextualización intelectual que logra: no solo reconstruye con rigor historiográfico los hechos de la vida de Hobsbawm, sino también su entorno político, académico e ideológico, desde la Guerra Civil Española hasta el comunismo británico. El resultado es una biografía que funciona también como una historia del siglo XX.
Es cierto que los aspectos personales de Hobsbawm, más allá de su infancia y adolescencia, quedan algo desdibujados, con apenas menciones a su matrimonio o sus hijos. Pero la riqueza intelectual del libro compensa esta limitación y te engancha, entramos en todos los debates intelectuales interesantes del siglo.
La traducción al español es excelente, aunque sorprende la cantidad de errores tipográficos en una edición de Crítica. Como nota personal, disfruté especialmente las referencias al jazz —Eric era un apasionado y un verdadero erudito en el tema—, y me llevo muchas recomendaciones musicales. En cambio, sus gustos literarios me resultaron muchísimo menos interesantes. Cuando tuvo que elegir un libro sin ser La Biblia o Shakespeare, eligió Neruda!!!Jamás lo habría imaginado.
July 21, 2025
Very well written and easy to follow. The book is full of funny and interesting stories and does a great job at looking at Hobsawm's life in the context of the wider world.
The only issues with the book was that it was written by someone who is openly a social democrat. this means the books suffers heavily from issue such as the constant use of words like "stalinist" and "stalinism". It claims the Communists in Spain tried to undermine the civil war which is completely false as the PCE was the strongest defenders of the republic. The book also claimed that Stalin himself seized power in eastern europe in the late 1940s early 1950s which again is not correct. while it could be argued that the Communist and Workers parties of the nations were very close supporters of the Soviet leadership Stalin himself did not take over Czechslovakia etc.
overall its a great book but these basic and pathetic mistakes from the author makes it far from perfect.
The only issues with the book was that it was written by someone who is openly a social democrat. this means the books suffers heavily from issue such as the constant use of words like "stalinist" and "stalinism". It claims the Communists in Spain tried to undermine the civil war which is completely false as the PCE was the strongest defenders of the republic. The book also claimed that Stalin himself seized power in eastern europe in the late 1940s early 1950s which again is not correct. while it could be argued that the Communist and Workers parties of the nations were very close supporters of the Soviet leadership Stalin himself did not take over Czechslovakia etc.
overall its a great book but these basic and pathetic mistakes from the author makes it far from perfect.
February 7, 2023
El primer cuarto del libro resulta algo tedioso, pero al traspasarlo la lectura, en paralelo a la vida de Hobsbawm, se vuelve mucho más atractiva.
Igualmente, creería que esta biografía despertará mucho más interés en aquellos que, de alguna forma u otra, hayan tenido, o tienen, una relación con la academia, la investigación y/o la historia.
Párrafo aparte para el extraordinario trabajo profesional de Evans. El uso de fuentes, aunque algo tedioso sobre todo en la primera parte por lo poco interesante que me parecieron los primeros años de Hobsbawm, es digno de un historiador de su talento.
Igualmente, creería que esta biografía despertará mucho más interés en aquellos que, de alguna forma u otra, hayan tenido, o tienen, una relación con la academia, la investigación y/o la historia.
Párrafo aparte para el extraordinario trabajo profesional de Evans. El uso de fuentes, aunque algo tedioso sobre todo en la primera parte por lo poco interesante que me parecieron los primeros años de Hobsbawm, es digno de un historiador de su talento.
August 2, 2022
Evans, masterfully as ever, portrays one of the most intriguing figures in the historical profession with careful analysis, wit and admiration. Hobsbawm’s admittedly topsy-turvy life is done a brilliant service by this excellently research, insightful, somewhat provocative and certainly definitive account of 95 years. Not only is it a brilliant insight into Hobsbawm, but also the times in which he lived- which is critical to any understanding of a 20th century life. Brilliant, utterly brilliant.
January 6, 2025
A long but worthwhile read not just for Hobsbawm enthusiasts, but anyone interested in 20th century history and historiography. Evans, as his readers know, spins a good story, and even a seemingly boring 20th-century academic life gets a treatment that is never dull. The only misgiving I might have is that while the first half has plenty of detail about H's private life, that aspect almost disappears when we get to the public intellectual of the latter half of the century.
October 13, 2019
Interesting insights into the life of the world's greatest historian, in fact much better that Hobsbawm's own biography. However, it is not without its faults. There's too little on the people close to him, and so we are not truly given a chance to understand Hobsbawm the man.
January 18, 2020
A superb biography of a great historian. Evans does not make Hobsbawm a saint, nor does he vilify the enduring Marxist. It is a balanced survey of Hobsbawm’s life and work, and Evans goes where the facts lead him.
June 9, 2019
Quite interesting, but overtly fawning.
August 31, 2019
Looooong bio of a socialist historian. More enjoyable than you might expect, though. Although I guess I can't assume everyone is as enthusiastic about historiography as I am.
November 3, 2019
Strong biography. Enjoyed the history, especially a different view of the world prior to WWII.
Read
May 17, 2020its good and thorough, maybe too thorough if you arent interested in the details of the publishing industry. still good
June 8, 2021
A superb read about a figure I have wished to learn more for some time. Clear and lucidly written, it brings to life one of the great historians of our age.
July 20, 2021
Despite its bulk (almost 800 pages with notes), this is a hugely readable and enjoyable biography. Effortlessly written.
January 4, 2022
Kadotin merkintäni, pentele. Hyvä muistaakseni, mutta varsin myötäkarvainen.
December 12, 2024
Una biografía monumental a un personaje monumental.
September 13, 2022
This biography is so comprehensive it might even be over comprehensive! If you enjoy the history of publishing and publishers and want to know the exact date and cost for each publication, then this will be a five-star work for you! It is exceptionally well-researched, and I believe Evans was able to access all the necessary documents required for this mammoth task. And it is impossible to imagine a more exhaustingly researched biography. I only wish there was a little more discussion of Hobsbawm's individual works and the debates surrounding them.
January 29, 2022
I'm sure this would not appeal to many or even most readers but I love intellectual biographies and this one about one of the greatest social historians of the last century was brilliant. The author, Richard Evans is himself a great historian, specifically of Nazi Germany regarding which he has written an excellent 3 volume history plus a "prequel" if you will and a retrospective of the era among other works. How he came to write this enormous work about a Marxist with whom Evans certainly must have disagreed more than he agreed (Evans knew Hobsbaum but not well nor did Evans study under Hobsbaum) I will never know but I am VERY glad he did.
October 1, 2021
EXCELENTE BIOGRAFÍA
November 7, 2024
one of the books that taught me what life is or can be
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