Norman Stone
Encyclopedia
Norman Stone is a British academic, historian, author and is currently a Professor in the Department of International Relations
at Bilkent University
, Ankara
. He is a former Professor
at the University of Oxford
, Lecturer
at the University of Cambridge
, and adviser to Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
.
– and graduated with First Class Honours in History from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, England
(1959–1962). Following his undergraduate degree, Stone
did research in Central European History
in Vienna
and Budapest
(1962–1965).
ship by Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he later became an Assistant Lecturer in Russian and German History (1967), and a full Lecturer (1973).
In 1971 he had transferred from Caius
to Jesus College
where, as director of studies in history, he combined a reputation for academic brilliance with an engaging angle on college politics.
In 1983 Stone launched an attack on the recently deceased E. H. Carr via the London Review of Books
. Stone wrote of Carr's History of Soviet Russia series that:
at Oxford University, England.
, Ankara
.
In 2005 Stone transferred to Koc University
, Istanbul
. However, currently Stone is returning to Bilkent University, Ankara, to teach for the 2007-2008 academic year. Stone also guest lectures at Bogazici University
, Istanbul. Since moving to Turkey Stone has become a frequent contributor to Cornucopia
, a magazine about the history and culture of Turkey.
, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, and the Wall Street Journal.
During this same time Stone also became Margaret Thatcher
's foreign policy
advisor on Europe, as well as her speech writer.
Stone's wife was a leading member of the British Helsinki Human Rights Group
, a conservative contrarian organization not affiliated with Helsinki Watch
.
He is also known for not accepting 1915 Armenian massacres as "genocide": for example, in 2004 he wrote from Ankara
to the Times Literary Supplement to report "Armenian nationalist claims that a 'genocide' as classically defined had taken place".
In 2009, he argued for the proposition that "Churchill was more a liability than an asset to the free world" along with Pat Buchanan
and Nigel Knight
.
. Also Hitler (1980), and Europe Transformed 1878-1919 (1983) which won the Fontana History of Europe Prize.
He is nearing the completion of his recent work on a general history of the U.S., Russia, and Europe, post-1945.
in "Papa Doc" Duvalier's Haiti
government. Their son Nick Stone
is a thriller writer.
Stone keeps a house in the Galata
neighborhood of Istanbul, and spends his time between Turkey and England.
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
at Bilkent University
Bilkent University
İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, commonly referred to as Bilkent University or Bilkent, is the first private, nonprofit university in Turkey with the fundamental aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. He is a former Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and adviser to Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
.
Early life and education
Stone attended Glasgow Academy on a scholarship for the children of dead servicemen – his father having been killed in the warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
– and graduated with First Class Honours in History from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1959–1962). Following his undergraduate degree, Stone
did research in Central European History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(1962–1965).
Cambridge
Upon completion of his secondary degree, Stone was offered a research fellowResearch fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
ship by Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he later became an Assistant Lecturer in Russian and German History (1967), and a full Lecturer (1973).
In 1971 he had transferred from Caius
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
to Jesus College
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
where, as director of studies in history, he combined a reputation for academic brilliance with an engaging angle on college politics.
In 1983 Stone launched an attack on the recently deceased E. H. Carr via the London Review of Books
London Review of Books
The London Review of Books is a fortnightly British magazine of literary and intellectual essays.-History:The LRB was founded in 1979, during the year-long lock-out at The Times, by publisher A...
. Stone wrote of Carr's History of Soviet Russia series that:
"Much of the book concerns economics, a subject on which Carr was hardly an expert. The lack of definitive point in the book...makes it dull and unrevealing. Like Carr himself it peters out...Carr's History is not a history of the Soviet Union, but effectively of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Even then, much of it is the kind of unreconstructed Stalinist version that could not now see the light of day in Russia itself...I am nearly tempted to exclaim that no more useless set of volumes has ever masqueraded as a classic. Carr's real talent lay in mathematics...From the mathematical spirit he took a quality not so much of abstraction as of autism which was carried over into his historical work. The result is a trail of devastation"
Oxford
Stone was subsequently accepted in 1984 as a Professor of Modern HistoryModern 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 Oxford University, England.
Turkey
In 1997, Stone accepted retirement from Oxford and left to teach at the department of International Relations at Bilkent UniversityBilkent University
İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, commonly referred to as Bilkent University or Bilkent, is the first private, nonprofit university in Turkey with the fundamental aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
.
In 2005 Stone transferred to Koc University
Koç University
Koç University is a private, non-profit institution, founded in 1993 and located in Istanbul, Turkey. One of the top universities in Turkey, it is supported by the financial resources of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, set up by Vehbi Koç, a leading Turkish businessman, “to serve humanity by increasing...
, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. However, currently Stone is returning to Bilkent University, Ankara, to teach for the 2007-2008 academic year. Stone also guest lectures at Bogazici University
Bogaziçi University
Boğaziçi University is a public university located on the European side of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. It has five faculties and two schools offering undergraduate degrees, and six institutes offering graduate degrees...
, Istanbul. Since moving to Turkey Stone has become a frequent contributor to Cornucopia
Cornucopia (magazine)
Cornucopia is a magazine about Turkish culture, art and history, published jointly in the United Kingdom and Turkey.-Content:Cornucopia was founded by John Scott and Berrin Torolsan in 1992. It is an English Language magazine that concerns Turkish culture...
, a magazine about the history and culture of Turkey.
Views
Stone's tenure at Oxford was not without incident, largely based around his political views, which were considered to be highly conservative, in the left wing climate of Oxford. He published a regular column in the Sunday Times between 1987 and 1992, and helped comment for many news services, including the BBCBBC
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...
, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
, and the Wall Street Journal.
During this same time Stone also became Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
advisor on Europe, as well as her speech writer.
Stone's wife was a leading member of the British Helsinki Human Rights Group
British Helsinki Human Rights Group
The British Helsinki Human Rights Group is an Oxford-based non-governmental organization which monitors human rights in the 56 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . Despite its name, the organisation is not affiliated to the Helsinki Committee for Human...
, a conservative contrarian organization not affiliated with Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch was a private American NGO devoted to monitoring Helsinki implementation throughout the Soviet bloc. It was created in 1978 to monitor compliance to the Helsinki Final Act...
.
He is also known for not accepting 1915 Armenian massacres as "genocide": for example, in 2004 he wrote from Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
to the Times Literary Supplement to report "Armenian nationalist claims that a 'genocide' as classically defined had taken place".
In 2009, he argued for the proposition that "Churchill was more a liability than an asset to the free world" along with Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
and Nigel Knight
Nigel Knight
Nigel Knight is an Oxbridge economist and political scientist whose publications include ‘Governing Britain since 1945’ and ‘Churchill: The Greatest Briton Unmasked’....
.
Writing
Stone's books of greatest note are The Eastern Front 1914-1917 (1975) which won the Wolfson History PrizeWolfson History Prize
The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public...
. Also Hitler (1980), and Europe Transformed 1878-1919 (1983) which won the Fontana History of Europe Prize.
He is nearing the completion of his recent work on a general history of the U.S., Russia, and Europe, post-1945.
Personal life
While in Vienna in the 1960s, Stone met his first wife Nicole, the niece of the finance ministerFinance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
in "Papa Doc" Duvalier's Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
government. Their son Nick Stone
Nick Stone (author)
Nick Stone , is a British thriller writer.-Background:Born in Cambridge to historian Norman Stone and his Haitian wife,...
is a thriller writer.
Stone keeps a house in the Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
neighborhood of Istanbul, and spends his time between Turkey and England.
Published works
- The Eastern Front, 1914-1917 (1975), ISBN 0-340-12874-7
- Hitler (1980), ISBN 0-340-24980-3 Coronet
- Europe Transformed, 1878-1919 (1983), ISBN 0-00-634262-0; 2nd ed. (1999), ISBN 0-631-21507-7
- Czechoslovakia: Crossroads and Crises, 1918-88 (1989), ISBN 0-333-48507-6
- The Times Atlas of World History (1989), ISBN 0-7230-0304-1 (ed.)
- The Other Russia (1990), ISBN 0-571-13574-9, with Michael GlennyMichael GlennyMichael Valentine Glenny was a British lecturer in Russian studies and a noted translator of Russian literature into English...
- World War One: A Short History (2007), ISBN 1846140137 Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
- The Atlantic and Its Enemies: A Personal History of the Cold War (2010), ISBN 978-1846142758 Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
External links
- Russia - Getting Too Strong for Germany
- Interview with Stone on "New Books in History"