When I was asked to name my favourite historian on Tuesday I drew a blank. But upon reflection, I think I'm more inspired by Marc Bloch than any other historian. Admittedly, of his works I'm only familiar with Royal Touch and The Historian's Craft (I have a passing understanding of Feudal Society, but I certainly haven't read it in full). However, there are two significant reasons for my respect and admiration for Bloch.
First, he wrote truly multidisciplinary histories. Bloch incorporated studies of the landscape and folklore into his work. And he did it all with a distinct-- almost poetic (though it's tough to really get a feel for a writer's rhythm through translation)-- narrative voice. As a student of both English and history, whose work will (so far) focus on the role the landscape played in the violent actions of men and women in the 20th century, I cannot help but be inspired by Bloch's work. Other than Cormac McCarthy (the novel Blood Meridian in particular), no writer has had as profound an influence on my historical studies as Marc Bloch.
Second, Bloch not only wrote history; he lived history. A Parisian Jew, Bloch fought in the infantry in the First World War, joined the Resistance in the Second and was ultimately executed by the Gestapo in 1944. He was a man, as such, that changed the world around him not just through his study and writing, but also through his actions.
Thus, though I have read far more about than from him, I can safely say that Marc Bloch's life and work plays an important role in my own historical study and writing.
-Ian
My favorite historian is a rather subjective choice. He is Sir Martin Gilbert. I like the way he presents history and biography without overanalyzing matters, and lets his narrative speak for itself. The archival work he performed on Sir Winston Churchill is astounding given Chuchill left behind some 15 tons of documents. Sir Martin works on his own with no research assistants. I have been in contact with him for a number of years discussing various historical topics,notably military history. Some years ago, he consulted with me, among others, about a book of maps pertaining to WWII. I did some research on my own about what to include in an atlas of maps and sent my ideas and suggestions. To my surprise, he mentioned my name, amongst others, in the introduction to his Routledge Atlas of WWII. I never expected this. Sir Martin is the man who has encouraged me to pursue a second career in history so that i may work on my own and free-lance. When I last spoke with him, he offered more encouragement to me. This has meant a lot to me. It is awfully nice to know this historian because the relationship is personal and means a lot to me. Sure I read his books and learn from them, but it is even better to know him and share ideas. I suppose this justifiess my subjectivity on this matter.
ReplyDeleteDominic Mammola