The Century of Eric Hobsbawm

Memoirs by historians are rare, and biographies of them more so. Eric J. Hobsbawm stands as an exception: He published critically acclaimed memoirs, and today—fourteen years after his death—is the subject of two biographies, the latest of which, authored by Emile Chabal, is scheduled for publication later this year.¹ This exception is well deserved, and Chabal did not accomplish an easy task. Richard J. Evans knew Hobsbawm personally, and his book, from 2019, stands as a kind of official biography, based on an extensive investigation of primary sources (some provided by Hobsbawm’s wife).² Evans carefully reconstituted a historian’s life and wrote with empathy, not without an apologetic touch. Chabal’s approach is different; he does not reveal any new dimensions of Hobsbawm’s life or personality. He has interviewed many people in several countries, but he does not explore new materials, and he gives fewer biographical details than Evans did. Yet his acknowledged distance is beneficial, and his gaze more analytical. Extremely readable, his book is a fascinating critical portrait.