Review by Choice Review
In this intriguing biography of the renowned British historian Edward Hallet Carr, Haslam has produced not only an important interpretation of Carr and his work, but also a valuable insight into the workings of British historical society during most of the 20th century. Haslam (Corpus Christi College, Cambridge) traces Carr's life from his birth in 1892, his time as a student at Cambridge, and his experiences serving the interests of the British Foreign Office, to the development of Carr's romantic attachment with the Russian Revolution, his later intellectual crisis when attempting to reconcile the violence of Soviet politics with the ideals of the revolution, and his death in 1982. Carr's major works include his History of Soviet Russia (14v, London, 1950-78), the provocative essay What is History? (1961), and The Romantic Exiles (1933), a study of Alexandr Herzen and his contemporaries. Using the limited sources that Carr left behind, Haslam developed a psychological portrait of Carr as an enigma driven by hope, integrity, and ethic. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above. W. T. Walker; Chestnut Hill College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
