Revolution in History

by Roy Porter, Mikulas Teich

Overview

All serious historical inquiry constantly encounters these major questions: what are the forces of historical change? and are there any general patterns shaping historical development? Theories of revolution have figured large in historians' explanations, yet they have remained deeply controversial, not least because of the complexity - and often ambiguity - of such notions of revolution themselves. In this book fifteen contributors, leading historians and renowned experts in particular fields or periods, examine the interpretative value of ideas of revolution for explaining historical development within their own specialism, assessing the existing historiography and offering their own personal views. The book presents a conspectus of modern historical opinion, provides a sweeping historical overview, and offers students an invaluable introduction to major questions of historiographical interpretation and controversy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521277846
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/09/1986
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

Notes on contributors; Introduction; 1. Revolution E. J. Hobsbawn; 2. Revolution in antiquity M. I. Finley; 3. Social devolution and revolution: Ta Thung and Thai Phing Joseph Needham; 4. The bourgeois revolution of 1848–9 in Central Europe Arnost Klíma; 5. Socialist revolution in Central Europe, 1917–21 T. Hajdu; 6. Imperialism and revolution Victor Kiernan; 7. Socio-economic revolution in England and the origin of the modern world Alan MacFarlane; 8. Agrarian and industrial revolutions William N. Parker; 9. On revolution and the printed word Elizabeth L. Eisenstein; 10. Revolution in popular culture Peter Burke; 11. Revolution in music - music in revolution Ernest Wangermann; 12. Revolution and the visual arts Ronald Paulson; 13. Revolution and technology Akos Paulinti; 14. The scientific revolution: a spoke in the wheel? Roy Porter; 15. The scientific-technical revolution: an historical event in the twentieth century Mikulás Teich; Index.