Roland N. Stromberg

1210. Arnold J. Toynbee Historian for an Age in Crisis, by Roland N. Stromberg (25 Mar 1973) Reading this book made me decide I need not read the 12 volumes of Toynbee's A Study of History (though on 17 Feb 1952 I had read, with considerable interest and appreciation, D. C. Somervell's abridgment of Volume I through VI thereof). The author of this biography said Toynbee's vogue is over and he may be forgotten. I noted this line re specialists in history: "The Byzantinists do not presume to tell us why Byzantium fell; they are too busy explaining why Leontius rebelled against Justinian II, and a thousand other matters."… (altro)

2111 European Intellectual History Since 1789, by Roland N. Stromberg (read 17 Nov 1987) I spent 5 cents at a rummage sale for this book. It represents the best five cents I've ever spent. It is the latter half of a 1966 book entitled An Intellectual History of Modern Europe. I was sheerly fascinated, even though some of it was really heavy going--I have a lazy brain compared to when I was 21, and it shows in a book like this. But this book is a delight: I only wish I had taken a course like this book is the text for 30 years ago--or read this book 20 years ago. I should re-read portions of the book periodically, and read in the field--or read an updated version. This book is one of the great reads of this year.… (altro)