BBC History UK 04.2020

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People who love history sometimes

make a distinction between fiction

and non-fiction when they think about

the books that have influenced them.

But novelists, poets and creative

writers are products of their time –

their perspectives can not only be

illuminating but also important.

Indeed, in some respects, it can

even be more useful to read what

someone wrote at the time than the

work of historians writing many

centuries later. History is all about

the primary sources, after all.

I fell in love with the history of

pre-revolutionary Russia when I was

a teenager, and tried to learn about

the art and music of the late 19th

and early 20th centuries, as well

as reading everything I could find

in the school library.

So perhaps it is no surprise that

my classic book nomination is First

Love by Ivan Turgenev. It’s a little slip

of a novel, but one that captures a

different time and a different place so

well that it made me want to become

a historian. The story focuses on the

complex emotions of a young man

who is growing up and trying to make

sense of his feelings for Zinaida, a

beautiful, charismatic and elusive

woman who is five years older.

The themes of yearning and

confusion, of frustration and hurt are

beautifully captured by Turgenev,

who was drawing on his own experi-

ences. It left a real impression on me

• and it’s a book I go back to often to
  remind me of how I too fell in love:
  with history.

Peter Frankopan is the author of several

books including The Silk Roads: A New

History of the World (Bloomsbu r y, 2015)

Peter Frankopan

on an evocative

novella set in pre-

revolutionary Russia

THE CLASSIC BOOK

First Love

by Ivan Turgenev

(first published 1860)

WOMEN’S HISTORY

New heights

Ladies Can’t Climb

Ladders: The Pioneering

Adventures of the First

Professional Women

by Jane Robinson

Doubleday, 368 pages, £20

The release of any new

history book by Jane

Robinson is always a moment for those

interested in the history of women to sit up

and take notice.

Her latest marks the anniversary of the

Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919. This

allowed many women officially to enter the

‘elite’ worlds of medicine, law, academia,

engineering, the church and architecture for the

very first time. At the beginning of the roaring

20s, these key institutions became legally

accessible to women, who wanted the oppor-

tunities to qualify, earn and progress alongside

their male counterparts.

For those inspired by the 2018 suffrage

centenary celebrations, Robinson’s book is a

welcome continuation of the story. Having

finally won the right to vote, women were now

concerned with the world they were making for

themselves. Focusing on women whose stories

are largely unknown, Robinson provides a

fascinating and inspiring look at how women

entered the professional world.

How about the story of Margaret Partridge?

A girls’ school maths teacher who created a

new career for herself as a lighting engineer, by

1927 she was known as “the first woman to

wire an English village for electric light”. Or

Stella Thomas, the first west African woman

to be called to the English bar in 1933. She

became a courageous legal orator, campaign-

ing against colonial oppression.

As Robinson states: “The history of progress

is full of transgressors,” and her book is filled

with stories of ordinary women who achieved

extraordinary things. It’s a must read for anyone

interested in the history of equality.

Fern Riddell, cultural historian and

broadcaster specialising in sex and suffrage

MIGRATION

Capital gains

Migrant City: A New

History of London

by Panikos Panayi

Yale, 384 pages, £20

Statistics, potted migrant

biographies and histories

jostle for space in this

ambitious, but rather turgid,

comparative study of London’s immigration

history. The book weaves multiple community

histories through 12 broad themes, ranging

from housing, employment, politics and religion

to food, music and sport. Too often the book

sacrifices depth and nuance for breadth.

Panikos Panayi argues that London’s excep-

tionalism is based on the length and continuity

of its immigration history, the superdiversity of

its migrant population and the concentration of

the migrant presence, with more than half of all

incomers spread geographically, economically

and socially throughout the metropolis. No

discussion of the histories of other cities is

offered to support this argument.

Similarly, there is no attempt to define terms

such as globalisation, superdiversity, multicul-

tural and cosmopolitanism, or to unpack

scholarly debates around these concepts.

The study is marred by an indeterminate time

frame which, despite a focus on the 19th and

20th centuries, reaches far beyond, too. There

is a lack of clarity about who exactly are the

book’s subjects – first-generation or second-

generation immigrants, sojourners or settlers?

What is ‘new’ about this New History of

London? Not as much as the subtitle suggests.

Panayi employs familiar tropes of the ethnic

entrepreneur, ghetto, migrant East End, cheap

labour, foreign bankers, black footballers and

musicians. He borrows from existing scholar-

ship and well-established primary sources,

including community archives, government

papers and autobiographies. The study feels

dated, not just due to the adoption of terms

such as ‘West Indian’ rather than ‘African

Caribbean’, but also because of an emphasis on

assimilation and integration.

The book paints a positive picture of migrant

social mobility, assimilation and integration,

with little discussion of the tensions that exist

within and between migrant communities. Yet

this optimistic interpretation has been

undermined by the anti-immigrant ‘hostile

environment’ and by the ethno-nationalism that

Brexit unleashed, to which not even London is

immune, but on which this study is

conspicuously silent.

Shompa Lahiri, research fellow at Queen Mary,

University of London

→

Peoplewholovehistorysometimes

makea distinctionbetweenfiction

and non-fictionwhenthey thinkabout

the booksthat haveinfluencedthem.

Butnovelists,poetsand creative

writersare productsof their time –

theirperspectivescannotonlybe

illuminatingbut also important.

Indeed,in somerespects,it can

evenbe moreusefulto read what

someonewroteat thetimethanthe

workof historianswritingmany

centurieslater.Historyis all about

theprimarysources,afterall.

Ifell in love with the historyof

pre-revolutionaryRussiawhenI was

a teenager,and tried to learnabout

the art and musicof the late 19th

and early20th centuries,as well

as readingeverythingI could find

inthe schoollibrary.

Soperhapsit is no surprisethat

myclassicbooknominationisFirst

Loveby Ivan Turgenev.It’s a little slip

of a novel,but one that capturesa

differenttime and a differentplaceso

wellthatit mademewantto become

a historian.The storyfocuseson the

complexemotionsof a youngman

who is growingup and tryingto make

senseof his feelingsfor Zinaida,a

beautiful,charismaticand elusive

womanwho is five yearsolder.

The themesof yearningand

confusion,of frustrationand hurt are

beautifullycapturedby Turgenev,

who was drawingon his own experi-

ences.It left a real impressionon me

• and it’s a bookI go backto oftento
  remindme of how I too fell in love:
  with history.

PeterFrankopanis theauthorofseveral

booksincludingTheSilkRoads:A New

History of the World(Bloomsbu r y, 2015)

PeterFrankopan

onanevocative

novellasetinpre-

revolutionary Russia

THE CLASSIC BOOK

FirstLove

byIvanTurgenev

(first published 1860)

WOMEN’S HISTORY

New heights

LadiesCan’tClimb

Ladders:ThePioneering

Adventuresof theFirst

ProfessionalWomen

byJaneRobinson

Doubleday, 368 pages, £20

Thereleaseof anynew
historybookbyJane
Robinsonis alwaysa momentforthose
interestedin thehistory of women to sit up
andtakenotice.
Herlatestmarkstheanniversaryof the
Sex Disqualification(Removal)Act of 1919.This
allowedmanywomenofficiallyto enterthe
‘elite’worldsof medicine,law,academia,
engineering,thechurchandarchitectureforthe
very first time.At the beginningof the roaring
20s,thesekeyinstitutionsbecamelegally
accessibleto women,whowantedtheoppor-
tunitiesto qualify,earnandprogress alongside
their male counterparts.

Forthoseinspiredby the 2018 suffrage

centenarycelebrations,Robinson’sbookis a

welcomecontinuationof thestory.Having

finallywon the right to vote, womenwerenow

concernedwiththeworldtheyweremakingfor

themselves.Focusingonwomenwhosestories

arelargelyunknown,Robinsonprovidesa

fascinatingandinspiringlookat how women

enteredtheprofessionalworld.

Howaboutthestoryof MargaretPartridge?

A girls’schoolmathsteacherwhocreateda

newcareerforherselfasa lightingengineer,by

1927 she was knownas “the first womanto

wireanEnglishvillageforelectriclight”.Or

StellaThomas,the first west Africanwoman

to be calledto the Englishbar in 1933.She

becamea courageouslegalorator,campaign-

ingagainstcolonialoppression.

As Robinsonstates:“The historyof progress

is full of transgressors,”and her bookis filled

withstoriesof ordinarywomenwhoachieved

extraordinarythings.It’sa mustreadfor anyone

interested in the history of equality.

FernRiddell, culturalhistorianand

broadcaster specialising in sex and suffrage

MIGRATION

Capitalgains

MigrantCity:A New

Historyof London

byPanikosPanayi

Yale, 384 pages, £20

Statistics,pottedmigrant
biographiesandhistories
jostleforspacein this
ambitious,butratherturgid,
comparativestudyof London’simmigration
history.Thebookweavesmultiplecommunity
historiesthrough12 broadthemes,ranging
fromhousing,employment,politicsandreligion
to food,musicandsport.Toooftenthebook
sacrificesdepthand nuancefor breadth.
PanikosPanayiarguesthatLondon’sexcep-
tionalismis basedonthelengthandcontinuity
of itsimmigrationhistory,thesuperdiversityof
itsmigrantpopulationandtheconcentrationof
themigrantpresence,withmorethanhalfof all
incomersspreadgeographically,economically
andsociallythroughoutthemetropolis.No
discussionof thehistoriesof othercities is
offeredto supportthis argument.
Similarly,thereis no attemptto defineterms
suchasglobalisation,superdiversity,multicul-
turalandcosmopolitanism,or to unpack
scholarly debates around these concepts.

Thestudyis marredbyanindeterminatetime

framewhich,despitea focuson the 19th and

20thcenturies,reachesfarbeyond,too.There

is a lackof clarityaboutwhoexactlyarethe

book’ssubjects– first-generationor second-

generationimmigrants,sojournersor settlers?

Whatis ‘new’aboutthisNewHistoryof

London? Notasmuchasthesubtitlesuggests.

Panayiemploysfamiliartropesof theethnic

entrepreneur,ghetto,migrantEastEnd,cheap

labour,foreignbankers,blackfootballersand

musicians.Heborrowsfromexistingscholar-

shipandwell-establishedprimarysources,

includingcommunityarchives,government

papersandautobiographies.Thestudyfeels

dated,notjustdueto theadoptionof terms

suchas‘WestIndian’ratherthan‘African

Caribbean’,butalsobecauseof an emphasis on

assimilationandintegration.

Thebookpaintsa positivepictureof migrant

socialmobility,assimilationandintegration,

withlittlediscussionof thetensionsthatexist

withinandbetweenmigrantcommunities. Yet

thisoptimisticinterpretationhasbeen

underminedbytheanti-immigrant‘hostile

environment’andbytheethno-nationalismthat

Brexitunleashed,to whichnotevenLondon is

immune,butonwhichthis study is

conspicuously silent.

ShompaLahiri, research fellow at Queen Mary,

University of London