The Historian At Work 0049010255, 0049010263

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The Historian . .. loaden with old Mouse-eaten Records, authorising himselfe for the most part upon other Histories . .. better acquainted with a thousand yeres ago, than with the present age .. . curious for Antiquities, and inquisitive of Novelties, a wonder to yoong folkes, and a Tyrant in table talke . . . Sir Philip Sidney, The defence of Poesie (1595)

The Historian at Work edited by

JOHN CANNON Professor of Modern History, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

London GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN Boston

Sydney

First published in 1980 This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rif ts are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the pu rpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD 40 Museum Street, London WCJA !LU

© George

Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd, 1980

Contents

Preface

page

Acknowledgements

xi

Note on contributors

xiii

I The historian at work

by John Cannon

2 Edward Gibbon

by Brian Warmington