History and the Enlightenment

Description

Arguably the leading British historian of his generation, Hugh Trevor-Roper (1914–2003) is most celebrated and admired as the author of essays. This volume brings together some of the most original and radical writings of his career—many hitherto inaccessible, one never before published, all demonstrating his piercing intellect, urbane wit, and gift for elegant, vivid narrative. This collection focuses on the writing and understanding of history in the eighteenth century and on the great historians and the intellectual context that inspired or provoked their writings. It combines incisive discussion of such figures as Gibbon, Hume, and Carlyle with broad sweeps of analysis and explication. Essays on the Scottish Enlightenment and the Romantic movement are balanced by intimate portraits of lesser-known historians whose significance Trevor-Roper took particular delight in revealing. Contents Editor’s Introduction Editorial Note Acknowledgments 1. The Historical Philosophy of the Enlightenment 2. The Scottish Enlightenment 3. Pietro Giannone and Great Britain 4. Dimitrie Cantemir’s Ottoman History and its Reception in England 5. From Deism to History: Conyers Middleton 6. David Hume, Historian 7. The Idea of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 8. Gibbon and the Publication of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776–1976 9. Gibbon’s Last Project 10. The Romantic Movement and the Study of History 11. Lord Macaulay: The History of England 12. Thomas Carlyle’s Historical Philosophy 13. Jacob Burckhardt Appendix: A Guide to Later Scholarship Notes Index