John Roberts (historian)
Encyclopedia
John Morris Roberts CBE
(14 April 1928 - 30 May 2003) was a British
historian
, with significant published works, well known also as the author and presenter of the BBC
TV series The Triumph of the West (1985).
. He won a scholarship to Keble College, Oxford
, and took a First in Modern History in 1948. After National Service
, he was elected a Prize Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he completed a doctoral thesis on the Italian republic set up during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte
.
The Times Literary Supplement described him as "master of the broad brush-stroke".
In 1953 he was elected a Fellow and Tutor in Modern History
at Merton College, Oxford
, and in the same year went as a Commonwealth Fund
Fellow to Princeton and Yale, where his interests broadened beyond European history. He returned to America three times as a visiting professor in the 1960s. From 1979 to 1985 he was vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton
where he felt obliged to make unpopular cuts (Classics and Theology). In 1985 he wrote and presented the thirteen-part BBC series The Triumph of the West, and was later historical advisor to the series People's Century
. From 1984 to 1994 he was Warden of Merton College, Oxford until his retirement, whereupon he returned to his native Somerset.
In 1996, Roberts was appointed CBE
for his 'services to education and history'. He died in 2003, at Roadwater
, Somerset
, shortly after completing the fourth revised edition of his History of the World.
When John Roberts' The Mythology of the Secret Societies was republished in 2008, the back cover contained the following message: "We are living at a time when conspiracy theories are rife and the notion of secret plans for world domination under the guise of religious cults or secret societies is perhaps considered more seriously than ever."
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(14 April 1928 - 30 May 2003) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, with significant published works, well known also as the author and presenter of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series The Triumph of the West (1985).
Biography
Roberts was born in Bath, and educated at Taunton SchoolTaunton School
Taunton School is a co-educational independent school in the county town of Taunton in Somerset in South West England. It serves boarding and day-school pupils from the ages of 13 to 18....
. He won a scholarship to Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, and took a First in Modern History in 1948. After National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, he was elected a Prize Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he completed a doctoral thesis on the Italian republic set up during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte
Italian Republic (Napoleonic)
The Italian Republic was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy. It was a vassal state of the First French Republic of Napoleon.-The republic:...
.
The Times Literary Supplement described him as "master of the broad brush-stroke".
In 1953 he was elected a Fellow and Tutor in Modern History
Modern history
Modern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeline after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period after the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution...
at Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, and in the same year went as a Commonwealth Fund
Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private U.S. foundation whose stated purpose is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, especially for society's most vulnerable.-History:...
Fellow to Princeton and Yale, where his interests broadened beyond European history. He returned to America three times as a visiting professor in the 1960s. From 1979 to 1985 he was vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
where he felt obliged to make unpopular cuts (Classics and Theology). In 1985 he wrote and presented the thirteen-part BBC series The Triumph of the West, and was later historical advisor to the series People's Century
People's Century
People's Century is a television documentary series examining the 20th century. It was a joint production of the BBC in the United Kingdom and PBS member station WGBH Boston in the United States. First shown on BBC in 1995, the 26 parts of one hour deal with the socio-economic, political, and...
. From 1984 to 1994 he was Warden of Merton College, Oxford until his retirement, whereupon he returned to his native Somerset.
In 1996, Roberts was appointed CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his 'services to education and history'. He died in 2003, at Roadwater
Roadwater
Roadwater is a village south-west of Williton, on the northern edge of the Exmoor National Park, in Somerset, England.-History:The village was formerly known as Rode and had a mill by 1243. During the 18th and 19th centuries there were a large number of mills set beside the Washford River...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, shortly after completing the fourth revised edition of his History of the World.
Legacy
The John Roberts Memorial Fund was established in his honour at Merton College in 2003, with the aim of increasing the financial support available to undergraduate and graduate students. The college hopes that in the first instance the Memorial Fund will support a history graduate.When John Roberts' The Mythology of the Secret Societies was republished in 2008, the back cover contained the following message: "We are living at a time when conspiracy theories are rife and the notion of secret plans for world domination under the guise of religious cults or secret societies is perhaps considered more seriously than ever."
Selected works
- Europe: 1880-1945 (London: Longmans,1967. Second, corrected and revised edition, 1970)
- The Mythology of the Secret Societies (1972; reprint edition, Watkins, 2008 ISBN 978-1-905857-44-9)
- History of the World (New York: Knopf, 1976). ISBN 0394496752
- Revolution and Improvement: The Western World, 1775-1847 (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1976). ISBN 0297770489
- The French Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978). ISBN 0192890697
- An Illustrated World History (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980. 8 Volumes)
- The Age of Upheaval: The World since 1914 (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1981). ISBN 0140640088
- The Triumph Of The West (London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1985). ISBN 0563200707
- A Short History of the World (1993)
- A History of Europe (1996)
- The Age of Diverging Traditions (London: Time-Life, 1998). ISBN 0705436608
- The Age of Revolution (London: Time-Life, 1998). ISBN 070543690X
- Eastern Asia and classical Greece (London: Time-Life, 1998). ISBN 0705436403
- The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century (1999)
- Twentieth Century: A History Of The World From 1901 To The Present (London: Allen Lane, 1999). ISBN 0713992573
- The New History of the World (3rd Edition, 2003)
External links
- Obituary - The Independent
- Merton College, Oxford - includes reference to the John Roberts Memorial Fund