ERIC HOBSBAWM/ A LIFE IN HISTORY

At the time of his death at the age of 95, Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012) was the most famous historian in the world. His books were tran slated into more than fifty languages and he was as well known in Brazil and Italy as he was in Britain and the United States. His w ritings have had a huge and lasting effect on the practice of history. More than half a century after it appeared, his books remain a staple of university reading lists.