Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm CH FRSL FBA (/hbz.

bm/; 9 June 1917 1 October 2012) was a British

Marxist historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism and nationalism. His best-known works
include his trilogy about what he called the "long 19th century" (The Age of Revolution: Europe
17891848, The Age of Capital: 18481875 and The Age of Empire: 18751914), The Age of Extremes
on the short 20th century, and an edited volume that introduced the influential idea of "invented
traditions".

Hobsbawm was born in Egypt but spent his childhood mostly in Vienna and Berlin. Following the
death of his parents and the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, Hobsbawm moved to London with his
adoptive family, then obtained his PhD in history at the University of Cambridge before serving in the
Second World War. In 1998 he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour.[1] He was
President of Birkbeck, University of London from 2002 until his death.[2] In 2003 he received the
Balzan Prize for European History since 1900 "for his brilliant analysis of the troubled history of 20th
century Europe and for his ability to combine in-depth historical research with great literary talent."