NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Christopher Hill

Born in York, Christopher Hill entered Balliol College, Oxford in 1931. In 1932 he was awarded Lothian Prize, and got a first-class honour and All Souls Fellowship two years later. Later in Balliol, Hill became a Marxist and joined the Communist Party. He spent one year in the Soviet Union in 1935.

After coming back from Moscow, he returned to Balliol as a fellow and tutor of modern history. In 1940 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Later in the War he also joined the intelligence corps. Around this time, Hill started to publish his articles and reviews about 17th century England history. He also took part in a debate among many Marxist historians in 1940.

In 1946, Hill and many other Marxist historians formed the Communist Party Historians Group. However, Hill soon became discontent with the lack of democracy in the Communist Party. He left the party in 1956, after one of his reports was rejected.

After 1957, Hill's career ascended to new heights. His studies on 17th century English history were widely acknowledged and recognised. In 1965, Hill was elected the master of Balliol. He held the post from 1965 to 1978, when he retired.

Many of Hill's most notable studies focused on the history of 17th century English history. His books include Economic Problems of the Church (1955), Puritanism And Revolution (1958), Intellectual Origins of the English Revolution (1965 and revised in 1996), The Century of Revolution (1961), AntiChrist In 17th_century England (1971), The World Turned Upside Down (1972) and many others.

Hill passed away on February 23, 2003, 18 days after his 91st birthday.

External links

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,902955,00.html

An American Tribute to Christopher Hill (http://www.counterpunch.org/linebaugh05172003.html) by Peter Linebaugh

The English Revolution 1640 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/hill_christopher/english_revolution/) by Christopher Hill (full text of 1940 book)

Categories: 1912 births | 2003 deaths | British historians | Marxist historians

Results from FactBites:

Obituary: Christopher Hill \| Arts & Humanities \| EducationGuardian.co.uk (2023 words)
	Hill's contribution, which was subsequently published alone, was a no-holds-barred assertion of the revolutionary nature of England between 1640 and 1660, and an assault on the traditional presentation of these years as an aberration in the stately continuity of English history.
	Hill always argued that the connection between leaving the CP and his wider fame was post-hoc rather than propter-hoc, and it is certainly true that 1956-57 caused no revolution (let alone a counter-revolution) in his analysis of the English revolution.
	Hill was honoured by an OUP festschrift, Puritans And Revolutionaries, when he retired from Balliol in 1978, and Verso published a series of tributes and criticisms, Reviving The English Revolution, 10 years later.

Guardian Unlimited \| The Guardian \| Obituary: Christopher Hill (2015 words)
	Christopher Hill, who has died aged 91, was the commanding interpreter of 17th-century England, and of much else besides.
	Hill's contribution, which was subsequently published alone, was a no-holds-barred assertion of the revolutionary nature of England between 1640 and 1660, and an assault on the traditional presentation of these years as an aberration in the stately continuity of English history.
	Hill always argued that the connection between leaving the CP and his wider fame was post-hoc rather than propter-hoc, and it is certainly true that 1956-57 caused no revolution (let alone a counter-revolution) in his analysis of the English revolution.

More results at FactBites »

COMMENTARY

Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.