Historians9 Writings

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28524, 1 March 1958, Page 3

Historians 9 Writings

\Reviewea by A R. I English Historians. Selected Passages compiled by Bertram Newman. Oxford University Press. 282 pp. This book has been published fpr the English Association, which exists “to promote the knowledge and appreciation of the English language and of English literature. and to uphold the standards of English writing and speech.” It must therefore be regarded primarily as a work of English literature rather than as a serious study in history. The main aim of this anthology or collection of 82 extracts from the writings of prominent English historians has been to illustrate the progress of English historical writing from the sixteenth century to the present time.

Probably C. V. Wedgwood is right when claiming in the foreword that every general anthology of English prose contains numerous passages from the writings of our historians, but the purposes of literature and history of literature is to give pleasure, are different. While the purpose that of history is to inform and instruct. The two may be combined and some historians have been noted for 'their magnificent English prose. On the other hand, occasionally the writer who seeks to impress by his fine writing has been least concerned about bis facts and their careful interpretation. Some of the fragments here presented should therefore be read solely for their stylistic qualities and not for their history. Thus ■ Lord Macaulay is represented by an extract from his History of England, which discusses the “Peculiar Character of the Revolution of 1688.” That extract Js representative of the Whig tradition in English history which has been under fire in recent years. Other extracts, from Sir Thomas More’s description of the murder of the princes in the Tower, to Froude’s discussion of the end of the Middle Ages, should quite definitely be read in order to catch a glimpse of the style and mind of the writer rather than to learn the truth concerning the event described. Although the compiler has been guided in his selection by thfe principles that each extract should be self-contained or complete in itself, that it should be concerned with some important or interesting episode, movement, feature or character, and that it should be interesting to the general reader rather than to the history specialist, it must be admitted that some of the fragments require a oackground of general historical knowledge to be understood Modern historians a~e well represented. Sir Ernest Barker, Sir Winston Churchill, G. M. Trevelyan, R. C. K. 'Ensor, Sir Mourice Powicke, R. H. Tawney, G. M. Young, J. A. Williamson, Sir Lewis Namier, A. J. Toynbee, J. E. Neale, H. Butterfield, and A. L. Rowse are'the most important of the moderns represented in this collection. Some may regret the absence of their favourite historians —say Professor Trevor-' Roper and A. J. -P. Taylor, to 1 name a couple—but Mr Neymar. I has made a very good selection. ; This is a good book to dip into, > whether the reader prefers ancient. II medieval, or modern historical >' studies. It is not” a -book to read bat a single sitting.