Eric Hobsbawm’s On History offers an in-depth examination of the nature of historical facts, historiographical methods, and the responsibilities of historians. The book is a collection of essays that question the academic and political significance of history as a discipline.

Content and Structure of the Book

On History is a compilation of 22 essays drawn from Hobsbawm’s academic lectures, conference papers, and articles. The book primarily focuses on general historiography and key aspects of historical writing.

In On History, Eric Hobsbawm explores various issues related to historiography and the responsibilities of historians. In the chapter Inside and Outside History, he introduces the book by discussing how historians evaluate the relationship between history and contemporary society. In The Sense of the Past, he examines how societies perceive the past and its role in identity formation. What Can History Tell Us About Contemporary Societies? considers how history serves as a tool for understanding the modern world. In Looking Forward: History and the Future, he discusses how the past shapes the future, while in Has History Made Progress?, he critiques the validity of the concept of progress in history. From Social History to the History of Society examines the evolution of social history, while Historians and Economists, divided into two sections, delves into the relationship between history and economics.

In the chapter Partisanship, Hobsbawm questions the ideological dimensions of historiography. What Do Historians Owe to Karl Marx? and Marx and History explore the foundations of Marxist historical thought and its influence on Hobsbawm’s own perspective. Every People Has a History emphasizes the need to approach history as a global discipline, while The Revival of Narrative and Postmodernism assesses narrative forms in historiography and the impact of postmodernism on the historical discipline. The Strange History of Europe and The Present as History discuss the uniqueness of European history and the meaning of history in the modern world. Can We Rewrite the History of the Russian Revolution? and Barbarism: A User’s Guide focus on the writing of revolutionary history and the crises of the modern age. Finally, in The History of Identity is Not Enough and Introduction to the Communist Manifesto, Hobsbawm critiques identity politics and provides an introduction to The Communist Manifesto.

Key Themes of the Book

In On History, Hobsbawm emphasizes the responsibilities of historians to society and examines how history is used in constructing national identities and ideologies. Below are the key themes explored in the book:

• The Political Use of History: Hobsbawm demonstrates how history is frequently manipulated for nationalism, ethnic identities, and ideological struggles. He particularly analyzes how the past is used in the construction of national myths.
• Marxist Historiography: He argues that historical materialism provides a powerful framework for analyzing events through economic and social dynamics. However, he also notes that Marxist historiography must adapt to changing conditions.
• Criticism of Postmodernism: Hobsbawm critiques postmodernism for introducing excessive relativism into the historical discipline and stresses that historians must preserve fact-based reality.
• The Responsibility of Historians: He asserts that historians should not only recount the past but also contribute to shaping the present and future. He particularly emphasizes the need to combat false historiography and anachronism.