|
... and perhaps young scholar could. But if you want to understand the age of religious wars, or if you want to be reminded that the purpose of a great history book, as of a great play or a great novel, is to transform how you see the world around you, then you should read this last relic of a lost age.
Wootton's pessimism about history at the moment is understandable but perhaps unwarranted. Certainly Trevor-Roper's "last subject" is based on sources in Latin, French and Greek; and the reader needs at least a working knowledge of the Reformation in Europe to understand one of the book's main themes--the destruction of international Protestantism in the seventeenth century. However thanks to History I at the University of Sydney 1959 (taught brilliantly by Bruce Mansfield and Ken Cable) I had no problems, and if Trevor-Roper had been able to write his planned "reflective introduction" neither I suspect would most readers.
As for the young scholars brought up on a diet of cultural studies with its incoherent interweaving of dubious material from a range of subjects, the depth of Trevor-Roper's research may indeed be intimidating. He moves across many disciplines in this biography of a now little-known royal doctor but he had more than earned the right. Clearly Trevor-Roper had mastered the political, religious, social, art and medical history required for such a narrative.
The book is also a...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
More articles from Quadrant
Daddy Long-Legs.(Poem), October 01, 2007
Something to worry about.(Ryan)(Pillars of Power: Australia's Institut..., October 01, 2007
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
(book%20review)%20%20&position=1)