The People's Historian - (Studies in Historiography) by Anthony Brundage (Hardcover)

About the Book

In 1874, John Richard Green, a virtually unknown former clergyman, sold the rights for his school textbook, A Short History of the English People, to Macmillan for 350 pounds sterling, a generous sum for a work expected to sell a few thousand copies. To everyone's astonishment, the work sold 32,000 copies in its first year, and a half million copies thereafter. This publishing phenomenon was also a breakthrough in historiography, for unlike earlier histories, which focused on kings and statesmen, Green's work revolved around the common people, their creative energy, and their devotion to self-government. Thus, Green was a critical figure in the transition from the writing of history of elites to a broader history of social and cultural change. He was also one of the last great amateurs at a time when the field was coming to be dominated by academic specialists. By providing an examination of Green's career, this book illuminates a critical juncture in the history of the discipline.

Book Synopsis

In 1874, John Richard Green, a virtually unknown former clergyman, sold the rights for his school textbook, A Short History of the English People, to Macmillan for 350 pounds sterling, a generous sum for a work expected to sell a few thousand copies. To everyone's astonishment, the work sold 32,000 copies in its first year, and a half million copies thereafter. This publishing phenomenon was also a breakthrough in historiography, for unlike earlier histories, which focused on kings and statesmen, Green's work revolved around the common people, their creative energy, and their devotion to self-government. Thus, Green was a critical figure in the transition from the writing of history of elites to a broader history of social and cultural change. He was also one of the last great amateurs at a time when the field was coming to be dominated by academic specialists. By providing an examination of Green's career, this book illuminates a critical juncture in the history of the discipline.

Review Quotes

?Clearly and gracefully written, this book is a model treatment of an individual unjustly neglected by posterity. Brundage has rescued Green from the disdain of those who prefer other forms of historical inquiry. One happy effect of this work, in conclusion, is to cause reflection upon the common enterprise that unites the readers of Albion; it is one of the many reasons why this study of Green deserves attention.?-Albion

"Clearly and gracefully written, this book is a model treatment of an individual unjustly neglected by posterity. Brundage has rescued Green from the disdain of those who prefer other forms of historical inquiry. One happy effect of this work, in conclusion, is to cause reflection upon the common enterprise that unites the readers of Albion; it is one of the many reasons why this study of Green deserves attention."-Albion

About the Author

ANTHONY BRUNDAGE is Professor of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His earlier books include England's Prussian Minister: Edwin Chadwick and the Politics of Government Growth, 1832-54 (1988) and The Making of the New Poor Law: The Politics of Inquiry, Enactment, and Implementation, 1832-1839 (1978).