Conservative Revolutionary : The Lives of Lewis Namier

Acclaimed in the decade after the Second World War as Englands greatest historian, Sir Lewis Namiers revolutionary approach gave a new word to the English language: to Namierise. An eastern European immigrant who came to idealise the English gentleman, today Namier is not only associated with a particular historical technique, but also with a way of understanding the world: a belief that the things that matter in society are the thoughts and actions of elites rather than the views of the population at large, and a view of politics in which issues are essentially unimportant, principles are a cloak for self-interest, and all who enter public life do so in pursuit of personal and material advantage. This exaggerated view has attained such a broad acceptance as to make him a hero to social and political conservatives, and a demonic figure to those on the left. Preoccupied by nationalism, empire, and human motivation, Namier also remains a point of reference in academic circles as the man who supposedly declared that in political discourse any reliance upon ideas was nothing more than flapdoodle. The first book to integrate all aspects of Namiers life and writings, this biography is based on a vast range of documentary sources, including entirely new archival material. A key figure in the Zionist movement, Namier played a significant part in public affairs and held a role in the Foreign Office in the First World War, and enjoyed close friendship with leading figures of his day, including Winston Churchill. Presentación del editor: "Acclaimed after the Second World War as England's greatest historian, Sir Lewis Namier was an eastern European immigrant who came to idealise the English gentleman and enjoyed close friendship with leading figures of his day, including Winston Churchill. Today, Namier is associated with the belief that the thoughts and actions of elites matter most, and with a view of politics in which those who enter public life do so only in pursuit of personal and material advantage. This exaggerated view has made him a hero to social and political conservatives, and a demonic figure to the Left. Preoccupied by nationalism, empire, and human motivation, Namier also remains famous in academic circles for supposedly declaring that any reference to ideas in political discourse was nothing more than 'flapdoodle'. The first biography of Namier in over thirty years, this book is based on a vast range of sources, including rich new archival material" Acclaimed after the Second World War as England's greatest historian, Sir Lewis Namier was an eastern European immigrant who came to idealise the English gentleman and enjoyed close friendship with leading figures of his day, including Winston Churchill. Today, Namier is associated with the belief that the thoughts and actions of elites matter most, and with a view of politics in which those who enter public life do so only in pursuit of personal and material advantage. This exaggerated view has made him a hero to social and political conservatives, and a demonic figure to the Left. Preoccupied by nationalism, empire, and human motivation, Namier also remains famous in academic circles for supposedly declaring that any reference to ideas in political discourse was nothing more than 'flapdoodle'. The first biography of Namier in over thirty years, this book is based on a vast range of sources, including rich new archival material. -- Front Matter 1 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of illustrations 9 Acknowledgements 10 Abbreviations 15 Prologue: in search of Namier 18 Avenues of history: the child and the man, 1888–1913 29 Personalities and powers, 1913–17 72 Facing east, 1917–20 105 In the margin of history, 1920–28 149 Skyscrapers, 1928–32 187 Europe in decay, 1932–38 226 In the Nazi era, 1938–47 269 Crossroads of power, 1947–56 325 Conflicts, 1956–60 367 Vanished supremacies 408 Bibliography 435 Index 452 A biography of the historian and public intellectual Sir Lewis Namier from his origins in a secular Jewish family in Poland to recognition as the most important historian of his day, whose ‘revolutionary’ method was enshrined in the verb to Namierise. -- .