Brian Manning
Encyclopedia
Brian Manning was a leading British
Marxist historian
, particularly of the English Civil War
of the 17th century. A student of Christopher Hill, his best known work was The English People and the English Revolution.
Manning himself went to Lancing College
, winning the Brackenbury Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
. He was appointed to a lectureship at Manchester
in 1959, and, in 1980, became professor at the University of Ulster
, becoming emeritus upon his retirement in 1992.
From its foundation until his move to Manchester, Manning served on the editorial board of the journal Past & Present
, which been set up in 1952, largely by the Communist Party Historians Group
, to elaborate "history from below" - the past as the story of generations of workers and peasant
s, women and men, struggling to make themselves and their world.
Manning's work drew largely on the Thomason collection of pamphlets held in the British Library
and, ironically, on Royalist propaganda about the social origins of their opponents in the English Civil War. Many of the themes that appeared in his work in the 1950s continued to dominate his publications even though the focus of historians' work had moved elsewhere. The rise of 'revisionist' historiography in the 1970s with its dismissal of Marxist approaches was a development he deplored, but which he was unable to overturn. His own work, as a result, became increasingly out of tune with the do minant themes of historical research from the mid-1970s onwards. Manning nevertheless remained prominent as a vigorous Marxist polemicist and political activist until the end of his life.
In a group dominated by Hill and his fellow Communists, Manning was an odd man out, eschewing the CP and embracing instead the emerging New Left
. After moving to Ireland
he joined the Irish Socialist Workers Party
. He was later a supporter of the London Socialist Historians Group
, which now holds an annual memorial lecture in his honour.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Marxist historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, particularly of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
of the 17th century. A student of Christopher Hill, his best known work was The English People and the English Revolution.
Manning himself went to Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, winning the Brackenbury Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. He was appointed to a lectureship at Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in 1959, and, in 1980, became professor at the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
, becoming emeritus upon his retirement in 1992.
From its foundation until his move to Manchester, Manning served on the editorial board of the journal Past & Present
Past & Present
Past & Present is a British historical academic journal, which was a leading force in the development of social history. It was founded in 1952 by a combination of Marxist and non-Marxist historians. The Marxist historians included members of the Communist Party Historians Group, including E. P...
, which been set up in 1952, largely by the Communist Party Historians Group
Communist Party Historians Group
A subdivision of the Communist Party of Great Britain , from 1946-1956 the Communist Party Historians Group formed a highly influential cluster of British Marxist historians, who contributed to "history from below." Famous members included such leading lights of 20th-century British history as...
, to elaborate "history from below" - the past as the story of generations of workers and peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s, women and men, struggling to make themselves and their world.
Manning's work drew largely on the Thomason collection of pamphlets held in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
and, ironically, on Royalist propaganda about the social origins of their opponents in the English Civil War. Many of the themes that appeared in his work in the 1950s continued to dominate his publications even though the focus of historians' work had moved elsewhere. The rise of 'revisionist' historiography in the 1970s with its dismissal of Marxist approaches was a development he deplored, but which he was unable to overturn. His own work, as a result, became increasingly out of tune with the do minant themes of historical research from the mid-1970s onwards. Manning nevertheless remained prominent as a vigorous Marxist polemicist and political activist until the end of his life.
In a group dominated by Hill and his fellow Communists, Manning was an odd man out, eschewing the CP and embracing instead the emerging New Left
New Left
The New Left was a term used mainly in the United Kingdom and United States in reference to activists, educators, agitators and others in the 1960s and 1970s who sought to implement a broad range of reforms, in contrast to earlier leftist or Marxist movements that had taken a more vanguardist...
. After moving to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
he joined the Irish Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Workers Party is an Irish Trotskyist political party.-Foundation and growth:The SWP was originally founded in 1971 as the Socialist Workers Movement by supporters of the International Socialists of Britain living in Northern Ireland, who had previously been members of People's...
. He was later a supporter of the London Socialist Historians Group
London Socialist Historians Group
The LSHG is a group of socialist historians formed in 1993 to promote discussion of new socialist approaches to history among the public and the academic community. It is focused on discussing the history from the "point of view of the working class." Its convenor is Keith Flett. It holds an...
, which now holds an annual memorial lecture in his honour.
Selected articles/works
- Politics, religion and the English Civil War (editor) (1973)
- The English people and the English Revolution, 1640-1649 (1976)
- 1649: The Crisis of the English Revolution (1992)
- Aristocrats, Plebeians and Revolution in England 1640-1660 (1996)
- The Far Left in the English Revolution, 1640-1660 (1999)
- "History and socialism", Essay on E.H. Carr (2001)
- Revolution and Counter-Revolution in England, Ireland and Scotland, 1658-1660 (2003)
- The legacy of Christopher Hill(2003)
External references
- Guardian obituary
- Socialist Worker obituary
- Callinicos, Alex, "Obituary: A True Leveller"
- Holstun, James, "Brian Manning and the dialectics of revolt"
- Blackledge, Paul, "Brian Manning: Historian of the People and the English Revolution", Historical Materialism Vol. 13, No. 3. 2005, pp. 219–228
- Manning, Toby, "My father the stranger," Guardian, 1 Jan. 2011
- Brian Manning Memorial Lecture