TORONTO, March 20, 2001 -- One of the most accomplished historical essayists of his time, David Cannadine, director of the British Institute of Historical Research, will discuss the role of history and historical research institutes in society in a lecture at York University, Monday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m.

The author of numerous books praised by academia and the public alike, including The Rise and Fall of Class in Britain (Colombia University Press, 1999), and History In Our Time (Yale University Press, 1998), Cannadine has successfully combined the rigors of historical research with an accessible writing style that communicates the need for historical context in understanding current events, from the travails of the British monarchy to the presidencies of George Bush and Bill Clinton.

Most noted for his panoramic work on the decline of the British aristocracy, Cannadine has sought to distance himself from what he calls the "craze for national heritage" that sentimentalizes the British upper classes in an "endless veneration of posterity." He also eschews the writing of "tunnel" history, drawing a distinction between big picture historians which he calls "parachutists", and the "truffle hunters". He says he has tried "to poke my head above the many specialist molehills."

Cannadine will draw on his experience as director of the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London to explore the functions, challenges and opportunities facing historical research institutes today.

"Their challenges lie in the limitations of available funding, in the doubts expressed in certain quarters about the value of history and in the ever-mounting pressures on academic historians," says Cannadine. "Their opportunities lie in the unprecedented interest of the broader public in the past, in the reassertion of the importance of history at the centre of life and public culture and in the scope for enabling other historians, whether professional or amateur, to do more or better work."

Cannadine’s lecture is sponsored by the history department at York University and will take place in room 305, York Lanes, York University, Keele Campus, 4700 Keele St., followed by a reception at 5 p.m. in room 390.

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For further information, please contact:

Prof. Stephen Brooke
Dept. of History
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 30416
sjbrooke@yorku.ca

Susan Bigelow
Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22091
sbigelow@yorku.ca
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