E P Thompson died aged 69 on 28th August 1993. He had suffered a long illness and was found reportedly in his Wick Episcopi garden. I recall hearing the news reported on a Radio 4 news bulletin, not something that perhaps would occur today.
The Modern Records Centre at Warwick holds a letter he wrote to Eric Hobsbawm in November 1963 just before the publication of the Making of the English Working Class. Hobsbawm had read a pre-publication copy and Thompson made reference to Hobsbawm’s forthcoming New Statesman review.
Thompson dismisses the idea as ‘ludicrous’ that he he ‘should ever write a historical masterpiece’.
He felt his strength was in linking ideas and values with real movements a ‘sociology of ideas’.
He suggested that if a ‘big’ history book was required Hobsbawm was the person to write it. Thompson argued he didnt have the ‘the patience, the system, the equipment’ to do it. By the last he meant economics and languages.
Compared to Hobsbawm he had a point. Thompson was arguing that he could connect ideas and movements, no doubt helped by his years of political activism. The Making did just that brilliantly, and at just under 1,000 pages it was a big book. One of the most influential of the post-1945 era, it was published in hardback by Gollancz 61 years ago in November 1963
The 60s, 70s and 80s saw an amazing renaissance in historical research and writing including the inspiration of Thompson and Hobsbaum which also led to the renewed interest in past working class, Marxist and anarchist writing, including Engels The Condition of the English Working Class, and the small Solidarity magazine movement re-introduced forgotten revolutionary history, from Kronstadt, Rosa Luxembourg, Alexandra Kollontai as well as a brilliant but little known book Memoirs of a Revolutionary by Victor Serge.
The movement towards history featuring the working class, revolutionary movements, feminist and black histories revolutionised the way history was seen and taught.
But as ever in the ongoing class war the victors try to ensure theirs is the only history and there has been a real counter revolutionary movement especially under the Tories to revert to the history of kings and queens, battles and the ongoing triumph of capitalism.
We need to continue to both promote past writings and continue to research, write and promote the real histories of resistance.
On a different topic if anyone is interested here is a piece from my blogger account raising concerns about just how much, if any, older people especially those facing poverty will gain from the new government and outline some key demands which would also benefit younger people who also face exclusion and discrimination. Anyone interested can contact me at my blogger link below or at chriswalshblog.com
https://wiseager.blogspot.com/2024/08/when-are-we-seniors-going-to-see-better.htm