THE HISTORIAN
n. an expert in history June 2012
The second publication from Exeter University History Society
THE HISTORIAN Editors
Nathan McNamara & Michael Fear
Contributors (In order of appearance)
Nathan McNamara Charley Mason Charlie Rush Nick Preston Professor Richard Overy Tristan James-Weed Chloe Jenkins Michael Fear Lawrence Hookway Arthur der Weduwen
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Contents Editor’s Note The Official Announcement One Night in Paris Interview with Professor Richard Overy Tristan James-Weed, BBDO Chloe Jenkins, Merrill Lynch Jerome Starkey Talk Anglo-Saxon England Essay Writing Tips Museums of America
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CONTENTS - 3
Editor’s Note
Any thoughts or comments? Email nm267@exeter.ac.uk or mf279@exeter.ac.uk
A Fond Farewell Greetings all, What a year it has been. Well, with a somewhat lower distribution rate than we planned, and one less issue than we planned to release, I can still say I am happy with the way The Historian has progressed from its humble beginnings back in October. Starting a new project like this in an already busy society is never an easy task. The design of the journal, down to the last font choice for the page numbers takes a large amount of time. Thankfully, my co-editor Michael Fear has been a helping hand in the whole process. With Exeter firmly in my rear-view mirror, I hope that I have created something in this journal that will last for years to come. I will be starting my Masters’ at King’s College London in September so another year of history awaits! This issue is somewhat more condensed than the first one. Nick Preston talks us through Exeter History Society’s Paris trip back in November and recounts some memorable scenes from the wondrous capital. Professor Richard Overy was kind enough to let us interview him and the insight into the famed lecturers’ mind can be found on pages eight and nine. Two interviews with Tristan James-Weed and Chloe Jenkins describe their feelings before futures in two areas of employment; advertising and banking. I am grateful for Lawrence Hookway’s two contributions to the second publication of The Historian; they are both an exciting and informative read. Finally, I saw it fitting to hand over the closure of this publication to Arthur der Weduwen, the new journal editor for next year. I hope that he will continue the high standards of the journal and reach the goal of getting it printed so it maintains a high readership. I hope the Society continues to flourish next year and in succeeding years, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to design, edit and publish The Historian. Nathan McNamara Chief Editor of The Historian 4 - Historian - JUNE 2012
The official announcement Charley Mason & Charlie Rush, Presidents of the History Society 2012/13
Hi Everyone, The history society is currently filling its first issue for next year’s journal. The society journal was started last year as a new initiative, but was sadly only published once, digitally, and therefore did not receive much attention. This year we are tackling things differently: we are planning to publish at least three issues, and print out many copies to distribute. The first issue will be published in fresher’s week, and will be an introductory issue, slightly different to the issues coming after it. The introduction issue will be focused on new students, introducing them to modules, the society committee, staff, and general history here at Exeter. It will also contain some historical essays and studying/travel abroad reviews. The issues after the introductory one will have a more academic focus, and will be accompanied by conferences/lectures organised jointly by the history department and the society. They will therefore contain more essays and historical debates than the first one. If any of you are interested in helping out with the journal, then that would be fantastic. It is a great opportunity to get involved with the society and the department, it can be used as a exciting CVitem/reference, and a good way to practice for your essays. Furthermore, it is not highly difficult: items need to be between 200 and 750 words (roughly). They can focus on anything that you like, as long as it is engaging and original. You can contribute in the form of short essays, historical inquiries, module reviews, staff interviews, etc. Work with historical research is especially encouraged, and will receive a prime place in the journal. If any of you are still interested, please contact ad383@exeter.ac.uk (Arthur, journal editor) with details of what you would like to write/any ideas you might have. I am more than happy to provide you with specific ideas if you would like. The deadline for the first issue is the 1st of september, but you can of course also begin to contribute for other issues later in the year. Thank you very much for your time, Regards, The History Society
EDITORS NOTE
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One Night (or two) in Paris Nick Preston gives us an insight into the Society’s trip to Paris in November and the indelible mark that the city left in his memory
So the long 14 hour coach trip began on a freezing Thursday at the end of November. Although I could not hide my excitement at getting away to one of Europe’s most picturesque and romantic cities (or simply escaping the piles and piles of reading for the following week’s deadline), it’s fair to say that the journey wasn’t the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had. A combination of very limited legroom, issues with the air conditioning and a poor selection of films meant that many of us struggled to get any much needed shut-eye on the route down to Dover; even coach driver Gerry’s outstanding one liners did little to lighten the mood! When the coach eventually pulled up outside our hostel on the outskirts of Paris at 10am on Friday, most of us were certainly running on empty. Nevertheless, the day that followed was most definitely busier and more enjoyable than I could ever have imagined that morning. A group of about 12 of us decided that we would spend the day as typical foreign tourists and head into the centre of the city. After somehow working out how to buy tickets for the French underground, including a rather embarrassing attempt at speaking the language myself, we negotiated our way onto the heaving Paris tube system. It’s definitely fair to say I’ve never played such a fun game of ‘sardines’! We were even treated to a musical accompaniment from a lovely French lady who then proceeded to take her hat off and beg for our Euros after a thirty second rendition of ‘Je ne regrette rien’...certainly an interesting experience to begin the day! The day in Paris itself was fantastic as we managed to see or visit almost every major tourist attraction on the map, including the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Military Museum and the Arc de Triomphe (although the chaos and mayhem amongst the traffic around it proved to be far more interesting to watch!) It was brilliant to sample so much culture, especially as there were also hundreds of Christmas markets which most definitely added to the wintery feel. After six or seven hours of walking everywhere, we chose to round up the afternoon by heading to the Louvre where we surprisingly gained free entry with our student cards. I am not normally a huge fan of art or appreciative of its fine intricacies, but some of the paintings here on the wall and on the ceilings were stunning and incredibly detailed. On the other hand, now that I have actually seen the ‘Mona Lisa’ up close, I still struggle to understand how a woman looking slightly glum has managed to achieve so much status. The queue to see it and the bullet –proof glass clearly suggests that many disagree with this view though! On leaving the Louvre, many of us were starving having only had a crepe to keep us going all day. However, it was at this stage that it became apparent that restaurants in Paris do not seem to like serving food on a Friday night until at least 8 o’clock, much to our annoyance. Finally, after another rather comfy journey on the underground, we managed to locate a quiet pizza place near to the hostel. It had certainly been a particularly long day and many of us were desperate to get some sleep. With hindsight, this would probably have been the best idea rather than deciding to sample the Paris nightlife which is in fact what we did...
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The following day, even if some of us were suffering slightly from hangovers, was just as eventful. We ventured to Notre Dame which was a tremendous sight, headed to ‘Le Marais’ (Jewish quarter) and then ended up at the Sacre- Coeur Cathedral. There may have been hundreds of steps to climb in order to reach this highest point of the city, but it was undoubtedly worth it as the views over Paris at night-time were breathtaking with every popular landmark visible from the summit. In addition to this, the inside of the great church itself was beautifully quiet, the silence only broken by the sound of a choir of nuns. This was my personal highlight of the trip and I would recommend it to anybody who visits the city, as long as they aren’t too afraid of heights! A Paris ‘Bar Crawl’ was organised for our second and final night which, from what I can remember, was extremely fun if not a little bit expensive. We could not believe that two pints of beer could cost 14 Euros! However, at least we received free t-shirts! Some members of the group found other ways of trying to avoid the high costs; a couple even thought it would be a good idea to ride the eight mile journey back to the hostel at 2 o’clock in the morning on their rented bicycles...very impressive I thought! After an early wake-up call the following morning, we checked out of the hostel and set off on our long journey back to Exeter. On the way, we had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at the historic Palace of Versailles. Although the architecture and grounds here were amazing, it’s fair to say that the Hall of Mirrors was particularly unwelcome for many of us; there was simply no way of getting away from our tired and haggard reflections in every direction we looked! Overall, I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say it was a brilliant weekend. As well as providing a much needed break from work, it was an opportunity to get to meet many other members of the history society, make the most of the Paris culture and nightlife and just have a really great time. If you don’t mind cramped coach journeys, sharing a hostel room with six or seven people and are willing to compromise any sleeping pattern you once had, then I would highly recommend signing up for this term’s trip – whatever the destination!
TRAVEL - 7
History Lecturers at Exeter Professor Richard Overy
The Historian speaks to Professor Richard Overy about his career, academia and World War II Why and how did you get into Academia? I have always been interested in history/archaeology ever since I was a small boy. In my final school years I became very politically active and the two together pushed me towards modern history writing. I was interested in answering large questions from the twentieth century and have spent almost all my academic life working around war and dictatorship. I never really wanted to do anything else and was fortunate enough to get the results I needed. My mother would have preferred me to be a clergyman. Where has academia taken you in the world? Academia is often described as an ivory tower, cut off from the rest of the world. It has changed a lot over the course of my career and it is now impossible to remain cut off, even if you wanted to. I’ve always been too interested in contemporary politics and active for many years, and I have always seen my history as a tool to help engage with the wider world more effectively. I am about to address the European Network for Reconciliation and Solidarity (set up in 2008) at its annual conference in Budapest on ‘The unnumbered dead’ from World War II. This kind of activity gives a less abstract purpose to our research. The history we study is everyone’s history, not just for historians. Do you have any advice for students contemplating further study? History research and teaching is tougher than it looks. History writing is a solitary activity. You have to be very determined that it is what you want to do before embarking on a post-graduate degree programme. Interest and enthusiasm are indispensible – doing a post-graduate degree to fill in time is a poor motive for doing it. You also need to communicate that enthusiasm. If you are the kind of person who can sit down in a bar and argue the Russian Revolution or the causes of the Second World War without boring your friends then you are on the right track. What has been your most interesting area of research or project? The most stimulating project has been the work for my book The Morbid Age. I have spent much of my career doing economic or military history, and here was a chance to do some cultural and intellectual history. The archives I visited of the great public intellectuals of the inter-war years – J. M. Keynes, E. M. Forster, Beatrice Webb, Vera Brittain, Arnold Toynbee – were full of odd stories and small eccentricities, as well as evidence of powerful engagement with the real world. I admired their confidence and identified with their world much more than in my work on airmen or bankers.
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How did you find working on the BBC’s Nuremberg docu-drama? All work for television has the same frustrations – the producers assume academics have no understanding of how to make a decent TV programme. A consultant can argue, advise, suggest, but in the end the decisions about script, ideas, presentation are all made by the TV staff. More often than not the consultant ends up having to vet material at very short notice and with no effective power to change anything. I have kept my TV commitments to a minimum over the past ten years for just that reason. How did you choose the 50 key dates in world history? This was a task I knew would earn me a good deal of criticism. There cannot be just 50 key dates in 6,000 years of recorded history, and it begs the question of what is key. I chose ones which seem obvious – 1789, 1917 – and some in intellectual or scientific life that seem less so – Newton and gravity, Einstein and relativity. I had to judge a Times competition afterwards for the best suggested additional date. Someone sent in ‘the year the Football Association rules were formally drawn up’. As a lifelong football supporter, I awarded this one the prize ahead of suggestions about Bach and Wagner. Why did the Allies win? This is a large and complex question which has generated a great deal of argument since. But it still seems to me important to see what the Allies did to win rather than blaming Axis defeat on their own drawbacks in leadership, strategy or technology. The answer lies much more in the military field than most historians will allow. It is always assumed that economic resources explain eventual triumph, but those resources had to be used effectively in battle in the air, on land and at sea, and it is here that we can really understand the answer to this question. Some years ago I was invited to a conference in Hamburg on the themes of this book; I gave my lecture on the Allies and every senior German military historian present made statements afterwards in which they argued that Hitler and the Germans lost the war, the Allies did not win it. This might seem to amount to the same thing, but it does not: Hitler may have got a lot wrong, but the Allies had to get a lot right before victory was certain. HISTORY LECTURERS
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Careers with History
Tristan James-Weed, the Society’s treasurer, describes his graduate prospects with AMV BBDO, a global advertising firm based in London Who are you working for and what industry do they operate in? I’ve got a job at an advertising firm, AMV BBDO, the British offices of the global company BBDO. It has been nominated for several awards recently, including the world’s most effective agency. Every year they hire on average eight graduates, with one gaining a fellowship. This scheme involves going around the AMV group to train in its various different fields. This training process takes 2 1/2 years. What will you be doing? I will be working as what is called an account executive, essentially handling clients and working with the other parts of the business to meet the needs of these clients. These other parts of the business are planners, who are involved with writing briefs and creating storyboards for adverts, while the creatives bring these ideas to life. Once an advert has been produced, it will be my job to present it to the client, awaiting their decision. Relations with clients are vital as you really need to understand the direction which a client is going in to be able to suitably fulfil their advertising needs. Have you always been interested in the advertising market and how did you hear about the position? The field of advertising is one that I have always been very interested in. In 2010 I completed a period of work experience with DLKWLOWE which I found both helpful and informative, but also very interesting. As such I took a detailed interest in the advertising market, and continued to learn that more than in any other industry, companies seek to represent themselves as innovative and cutting edge. Further, from this interest I learnt that contrary to other graduate application procedures, they were only available through certain mediums. While AMV BBDO’s scheme was advertised through Facebook, a competitors, Ogilvy’s scheme appeared on Twitter. This demonstrated to me how keeping with the state of the market is so important in any industry.
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What was the application process like? The first part of your application involves simply submitting a copy of your CV and answering some questions, rather than the long applications and online tests which have recently been the norm. After this you are called to a 1st interview, where you participate in two different interviews as well as producing a 3-4 minute presentation on a certain product of personal passion amongst other things. If you are successful at this stage you will be called back for the final assessment centre. This is a long day, often lasting from 8am to 7pm, with drinks included afterwards. In this you will undergo 4-5 interviews and produce a presentation that you have had a week to prepare for. You are expected to participate in group-work throughout the day which culminates in a group presentation. Finally, you had to put together a blind presentation of about a minute on literally anything they give you! Mine was E Birthday cards! Have you heard of or been asked any interesting questions in interviews? A couple- Describe the colour blue to a blind person, who inspires you- no clichéd answers, tell me about David Cameron’s Fiscal policy, Why are you passionate about this industry? Have you got any advice for people interested in the advertising industry? Get involved with the media as much as possible. The digital world is vial in this, as it is becoming increasingly important in the advertising industry, so you have to be able to show that you know something about it. You also have to be able to differentiate yourself from other good candidates. Holding a committee position is something which I’ve found really useful in this respect. It is also important to show that you really love the industry, as this can immediately separate you from your competitors. More generally, you need to show that you’re worldly and keep up to date with current affairs- in one of my interviews I was asked to talk for three minutes about David Cameron’s Fiscal policy. This job is ideal for energetic, talkative, sociable people who are good at managing people. You learn that this is a job for a specific type of person, hence it’s a close knit community as you see the same people at various different interviews. Keep up to date with the industry, whether this is looking at recent developments in technology or looking at applications deadlines. A website I found particularly useful for this was http://adgrads.blogspot.com/. The version I used in 2011, http:// adgrads.blogspot.com/search/label/2011%20grad%20schemes. My biggest piece of advice would be to apply in our 3rd year, as 65-70% of applicants apply after graduation. This way you are showing companies that you are really keen.
CAREERS - 11
Careers with History We talk to Chloe Jenkins about her upcoming job with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and how you do not need an economics degree to be employed in the banking sector. What kind of things will you be doing? It depends on where I’m located within the bank – the trading floor is a strong possibility. Generally I imagine I’ll be discussing with the bankers any potential problems that might arise with trades they are trying to make. Compliance is basically ensuring the reputation of the bank remains squeaky clean, so making sure their adhering to regulatory requirements, upholding the Chinese Wall, dealing with conflicts of interest. I know I’ve also got to do some training and take exams on regulations, securities and derivatives. How did your history degree help you get the job? History demonstrates a lot of skills that employers look for, for example analysis and problem solving, which are useful to mention in the application and interview. It’s also helpful in developing your communication skills - sounding eloquent and succinct in the online application is something that can ensure your application stands out, so you actually get to the next stage. This is particularly important with many of the applications, where you want to squeeze in as much as possible while still keeping to the word limit. Studying history did mean that my maths skills were a bit rusty for the numerical test, so I had to do a few practice papers. Did you do any kind of relevant work experience beforehand? Did you find it useful when applying? I did two months work experience at Deutsche Bank over the summer, which was really useful as it gave me lots to talk about during the interview and a much better understanding of what Compliance actually is. It wasn’t an official internship, but I was lucky as the people I was working with gave me lots of opportunities, so I had to do numerous presentations, create lots of hand-outs, as well as general tasks on a daily basis. What advice would you have for people applying for jobs in the financial sector, specifically Risk and Investment Banking? It’s really important that you read the Financial Times, you don’t have to memorise it cover to cover, but if you note things down that interest you or link in with your chosen division then it looks impressive. Also if something fairly monumental is going on then its important you have a grip on it. During the time of my application and interview the Eurozone crisis was coming to a head, so I made sure I understood and had an opinion on what was happening. Other than that, I would say just make sure you know the bank you’re applying to well and are able to drop in facts about them, like what awards they’ve recently won or if they’ve completed a notable deal and show a genuine understanding and enthusiasm for your division but also investment banking in general.
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Michael Fear gives his review of the Jerome Starkey talk on Afghanistan Last week I was lucky enough to catch a talk given by the Times Correspondent in Afghanistan, Jerome Starkey. Starkey spoke about his time in Afghanistan, both as a freelance journalist and while working for the Times. Since going to Afghanistan in 2006 he has followed the military, as well as immersing himself within Afghanistan’s culture. Inevitably much of the talk centred on the war in Afghanistan, as Starkey spoke at length about his time following NATO troops across Afghanistan. One image he provided had him sheltering from enemy fire in nothing more than a trough created by tractor wheels. His willingness to put himself in harm’s way in the pursuit of good journalism has seen him awarded the Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism, with the judges for the award adding that he ‘has clearly taken high risks to get his stories’. This emerged during the talk, as he provided a vivid description of being involved in an embed with the British forces when an improvised explosive device exploded 10 metres away from him. His description of the aftershock, and the contrasting views of the soldiers about having a journalist present in the aftermath of a fatal explosion were particularly sobering yet enlightening. It was largely on the back of the report based on this story that he was awarded the Schork award. One of the most memorable aspects of the talk, and one which the think the majority of the audience will take away with them was Starkey’s moving account of his actions in helping a severely injured Afghani boy to find adequate medical treatment, as well as subsequently helping him gain a scholarship to a boarding school in England. Present when a rocket hit the city of Lashkar Gah in August 2009 Starkey found Najib in the rocket’s aftermath. He visited his house the next day, and saw that his eye was bandaged. While a French NATO hospital couldn’t remove the shrapnel which it emerged had become
lodged in his eye, he was eventually taken to Carolina, where a specialist removed it. Despite this, Starkey said, they were unable to save Najib’s sight. Since then Starkey has helped Najib to gain a scholarship to Starkey’s old school and fulfil his dream of travelling. Starkey’s talk also addressed the issue of military censorship throughout. He made his point of view plain, as while he admitted that for the sake of the safety of NATO troops, as well as the success of their operations, the media must never report before a mission has been accomplished, he has pressed for much greater freedom than they presently enjoy. He made reference to the fact that as a journalist involved in embeds with NATO troops, every article which he wrote had to be read by the military before it could be published. Throughout the talk, Starkey made it clear that he is quite pessimistic about Afghanistan’s prospects when NATO troops exit the country in a planned withdrawal in 2015. It dawned on me that this contrasted with a talk I had attended a year previously, in which General Sir Nick Parker, briefly in command of ISAF troops in 2010, had provided a picture of a bright outlook for Afghanistan. Thinking as an historian, it struck me that these two perspectives provided real life examples of the theoretical points often made regarding the use of particular kinds of sources. Indeed, the backgrounds of the authors, as well as the provenances of the two accounts have undoubtedly influenced their conclusions. What I will take most from the talk is not the problems faced by Afghanistan, but Starkey’s description of the breath-taking landscapes, as well as experiences with the local people. Judging by the questions which followed the talk, I think this was a view shared by everybody, as it was apparent that many were keen not only to go into similar types of journalism, but also to travel to the country itself. CAREERS - 13
Historical Writings
The potential misconceived link between ethnicity and religion in early Anglo-Saxon England Lawrence Hookway discusses paganism in early Medieval England. The first essay of my second year in the module ‘Transformation of England: 600-850AD’ asked me to discuss the meaning of paganism in this period. After finishing the essay I realised that this and many other terms could cost valuable marks if used carelessly in other pieces of coursework or exams. Gaining an understanding of this and many other key terms in a history module undoubtedly avoids this pitfall. This article seeks to illustrate the dangers of using such terms lightly through a discussion of paganism and ethnic identity in early Anglo-Saxon England and will hopefully be of use to newer undergraduate historians. ‘Paganism’ derives from the Latin term ‘paganus’, meaning ‘country-folk’ and had come to be used by Christians as a general term for those who had not accepted the faith towards the closing days of the Roman Empire. This alone could suggest a perceived sense of difference by Christian converts from their unbelieving neighbors. In early Anglo-Saxon England there is certainly evidence for this. By the mid-6th century the Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes (non-Christian) had settled in England. The most important cultural baggage and signifier of identity of these settlers in the eyes of the native British would have been their religion. Lacking in Christianity, the native RomanoBritish Christian populace could have perceived the Germanic immigrants as a barbarian race that established is supremacy and forced their migration westwards. For example, in the early sixth century the British writer Gildas referred to the Anglo-Saxons generally as ‘pagans’ (deo invisi) who cut off many of the Christian shrines from the natives (civis) in his work Deo Excidio Britanniae. It would appear that ethnicity and religion are being treated as one and the same by contemporaries, which might lead an undergraduate historian to use the term ‘pagan’ themselves when describing the Germanic settlers. Indeed, in the archaeological record we could find evidence to back this separation of two ‘ethnicities’ of people on the basis of religion. Lewis has highlighted that Christian cults and communities continued to live separately during the barbarian settlement at Lincoln and Canterbury, a pattern that can found as late as the compilation of Domesday Book in 1086. Certainly, Dorothy Watts has argued that Christianity had taken a deep root amongst the Romano-British as early as the end of the 4th century. The extent of this devotion may have played an important part in the creation of the ‘other’ perceived pagan ethnicity. However, it can also be argued that to distinguish such an identity does not reflect the reality of Anglo-Saxon and the perceptions of those who experienced it. The construction of a ‘pagan ethnicity’ referring to the Germanic immigrants presupposes a long-established Christian tradition amongst the native Romano-British. Archaeological evidence, on the other hand, demonstrates the thriving of Romano-British paganism well into the fourth and fifth centuries (more than a century after they had been supposedly converted). The abandonment of rural Christian cemeteries such as Icklingham, Ashton and Nettleton are symptomatic of wider evidence that a significant proportion of Christians relapsed into paganism in the fifth century. 14 - Historian - JUNE 2012
None of this suggests solid boundaries for difference on the basis of religion between the two peoples, immigrant and native. Furthermore, the formation of a ‘pagan ethnicity’ assumes a lack of religious tolerance in England, but written and archaeological sources suggest the contrary. Excavations at Silchester and Verulanium have revealed that native Christian worshippers and non-Christian inhabitants co-existed for a generation at least. It is unlikely that clear-cut ethnic identities linked to religion could be created in such an environment. Hills argues that ‘ethnic, social or political groupings were probably not clearly defined at the time’, and James similarly asserts ‘the tendency of historians to think in racial terms, of German, Slav, Celt or Roman, has concealed very real similarities between the various barbarian kingdoms of northern Europe’. It would be entirely inappropriate to speak of the Germanic settlers collectively as pagans, as this assumes equally a collective group of Christian Romano-Celts facing them. Though religion and ethnicity may indeed serve as an important marker of difference and perhaps conflict throughout history, it is important to remember that these generalisations are constantly subject to debate and revision. This may seem obvious, but it is very easy and perhaps even necessary in the interest of space to use these short-hands, which this article is equally guilty of, for instance ‘Romano-Celtic’ or ‘Christian’. What is vital is that historians acknowledge the contested meaning of these terms when they chose to use or write about them. Bilbiography Davies, W., ‘The Church in Wales’, in Barley, M. and Hanson, R. (eds.), Christianity in Britain, 300700: papers presented to the Conference on Christianity in Roman and Sub-Roman Britain, held at the University of Nottingham, 17-20 April 1967, (Leicester, 1968), pp. 131-50. Frend, W., ‘The Christianisation of Roman Britain’, in Barley, M. and Hanson, R. (eds.), Christianity in Britain, 300-700: papers presented to the Conference on Christianity in Roman and Sub-Roman Britain, held at the University of Nottingham, 17-20 April 1967, (Leicester, 1968), pp. 37-50. Hills, C., ‘The Anglo-Saxon Settlement of England’, in Wilson, D. (ed.), The Northern World : the History and Heritage of Northern Europe, AD 400-1100, (London, 1980), pp. 71-94. Hines, J. ‘Society, Community and Identity’, in Edwards, C. (ed.), After Rome, The Short Oxford History of the British Isles, (Oxford, 2003), Vol. II, pp. 61-103. James, E., ‘The Northern World in the Dark Ages, 400-900’, in Holmes, G. (ed.), The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe, (Oxford, 1988), pp. 63-114. Jones, P. and Penwick, N., A History of Pagan Europe, (London, 1997). Lewis, C., ‘Welsh territories and Welsh Identities in Late Anglo-Saxon England’, in Higham, N. (ed.), Britons in Anglo-Saxon England, (Woodbridge, 2007), pp. 130-143. Morris, R., The Church in British Archaeology, Research Reports: Council for British Archaeology (London, 1983), Vol. 47. Myres, J., ‘Introduction’, in Barley, M. and Hanson, R. (eds.), Christianity in Britain, 300-700 : papers presented to the Conference on Christianity in Roman and Sub-Roman Britain, held at the University of Nottingham, 17-20 April 1967, (Leicester, 1968), pp. 1-8. HISTORICAL WRITINGS -
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Historical Writings
Insider Guide for Essay Writing (From an undergraduate who’s been there!) Lawrence Hookway gives us a guide into essay writing for history undergraduates and provides some helpful tips Firstly, it is important to highlight that this a general guide aimed largely at first year students. It is also very much a reflection of my own strategies and useful methods that I have learnt by trial and error over the past two years. Obviously, each student has there own way of working, but hopefully there will be a number of tips here on choosing an essay question, finding resources and locating a suitable place to study that the reader will find useful. When beginning to write your essay, the first step is choosing your question. Though it may seem slightly unnecessary, it pays dividends to do this around two weeks or earlier before the deadline. With first and second year undergraduate history classes being so large, the demand for the key textbooks can sometimes leave some students struggling to find resources for their discussion. In addition, you may find it useful to choose a question already covered by one of the seminars or lectures, especially if you are unclear on what you think the question is asking. You might even want to look up past examination papers for the module which can easily be accessed via your MyExeter portal and the library catalogue or through ELE. If you can see that an essay question has also been quite topical in examination papers over the years than you can save yourself a large amount of work and answer that same question if it reappears in the summer paper; an oft repeated myth is that you cannot do this, but it is not true in the slightest. In fact, that is why essay and exam questions so often overlap; it is done deliberately to help you. The best place to begin looking for resources is the bibliography provided at the beginning of 16 - Historian - JUNE 2012
your module or available through ELE. The library catalogue is an especially useful search engine, but responds best if you limit your phrases and use the keyword function. This can also bring up relevant material that may not be listed in the bibliography. Far more important, though, is to utilize the electronic resources that the university literally spends millions of pounds a year on. These are very useful for those of you that like to write your essays at home. JSTOR and EBSCO accessed via the library tab in your MyExeter portal are particularly powerful. These online journal archives save bags of time in avoiding searching for the hard copies of a journal. The articles can be downloaded and saved as pdf. files for future reference and it can lead you on to further reading that really makes an essay stand out. JSTOR, for instance, it has a useful tool adjacent to the article that shows you who else has referenced from or commented upon the same article in another piece of writing. Regarding journal articles another important point needs to be made. They serve as a very effective way to get to the centre of a historian’s arguments. The writer will often have written a journal article preceding a book on the same topic in beginning to develop his ideas, and reading the former achieves much the same result and you can always refer to the book if you require more detail. Indeed, when using books an effective way to get straight to the heart of what a historian says is to read the introduction and concluding chapters first; it is here that historians make their mark. The core chapters of many history books, especially ones chronologically recounting events, will often be very similar to each other.
Again, refer to specific chapters if you want more detail. If you have just arrived on campus, you may be wondering if there is a place to study on campus that is not a building site? Two of the best places to achieve quiet study and access to computers are the research commons and the law library. The former can be found behind the Blackwells and Natwest branches on campus, on the far side of the chapel inside the Old Library. Research Commons is one of these. The easiest way to find this mysterious place is to head to the student shops where natwest and blackwells are. Behind this is the chapel, and behind that is the Old Library and research commons. As you come in on your left there is a brilliant silent study space on your right with loads of tables and comfy chairs, as well as decent wi-fi and sockets at every seat for your laptop. If you ignore this and head further inside, through numerous double doors and down a staircase the library has two basement levels that are nearly always quiet and contain around two dozen computers with a few printers. Another great place is the law library. This can be found on the right hand
side corridor as you enter the main lobby of the Amory Building. Again this has a good number of computers, but because it is normally fortified by very serious and stern looking law students you can guarantee that this is nearly always a quiet place to study. The most important piece of advice, however, is to use your tutors. They are more than happy to talk about your essay and many will even look over a plan which can save you from making a few frustrating mistakes on points like terminology and Historiographical schools of thought. They are there to be used, so use them until they despise your emails and dread the sound of a knock on their door! Of course, try to keep your harassment within their assigned office hours. Hopefully this article has been of use and may I wish you the best of luck with your essays. I should probably start mine now!
HISTORICAL WRITINGS - 17
Historical Writings
Forgetfulness regarding the American Independence War in USA’s History Museums Arthur der Weduwen describes his visit to the museums of New York City and Washington D.C. Over the Christmas holiday, I visited my family in New York City for a couple of weeks. Since I quite like to visit history museums, we decided to go to the New York history museum and to the Smithsonian museum of American History in Washington DC, where we went for a two day trip. I do not know too much of American history, and thus I was happy to find out that both museums had an exhibition on the American Independence War. However these exhibitions turned out to be scarcely analytical or accurate, almost ignorant. For example, the exhibitions both celebrated the immense heroics of American ‘patriots’, George Washington, the other founding fathers, and the bravery of the young American state opposing the relatively idiotic and ancient British state. There were many valiant quotes of Franklin, Washington and Jefferson on the walls of the exhibitions, and paintings and maps of the American battles and conquests during the war. The exhibitions portrayed the Thirteen Colonies as beacons of unity, fighting alone against the corrupted British fighting machine, directed by cruel officers. Particular attention was paid to Banastre Tarleton, the “Green Dragoon”, who controlled a light cavalry regiment and mounted several raids against American towns, murdering dozens of innocent citizens. However, the exhibitions take this example out of context, and thus create a distorted image of the British officers fighting in the war. Furthermore, the role of the French in the war was severely downplayed by the museums. Thanks to the French navy, the Americans were able to 18 - Historian - JUNE 2012
force Cornwallis into surrender at Yorktown, and thus strike a decisive blow at the British. French troops and finance were also vital to American success in the war, but all that was to be found in the exhibitions was a brief mention of Marquis de Lafayette and a French infantry uniform. The exhibitions seemed to be forgetting many different facts. The united Thirteen Colonies, as they were presented, were in fact not unified: according to Jeremy Black, around 20% of Americans were actively loyal to the British, with 25,000 of them fighting in British ranks. Furthermore, another 40% were neutral, not supporting either side. The exhibitions also smoothly forgot the treachery of Benedict Arnold, an important major-general in the American army who defected to the British halfway through the war. Even today, Benedict Arnold’s name is still used as an insult in American politics and his name has been taken off every single memorial for him: it is certain that American history has still not objectively resolved the issues surrounding Arnold. Of course, it remains true that museums have limited space for their exhibitions, which severely restricts the amount of information that can be conveyed to visitors. Furthermore, different interpretations and accounts of history are vital to the study of history. These two concepts may explain why there is such a lack of balanced views portrayed in the USA’s most prestigious history museums, but this explanation will sadly not do. Museums of history, and certainly not celebrated museums with the status of the Smithsonian, must not be tools for patriotic propaganda
and the promotion of nationalistic education, but instruments for the good of humanity: the balanced and unbiased portrayal of history and historical events, which can enable us to study and learn from the past through accurate means. For the future, one can only hope that these museums will become more objective in terms of portrayal of American history.
HISTORICAL WRITINGS - 19
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