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Retrieved 13 July 2020 After
From 1985 to 1994 Roberts was
Portrait of John Morris Roberts by Tai-Shan Schierenberg on the Art UK website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, John 1928 births 2003 deaths Theorists on Western civilization People educated at Taunton School Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Wardens of Merton College, Oxford Vice-Chancellors of the University of Southampton Alumni of Keble College, Oxford 20th-century British historians People from Bath, Somerset
John Morris Roberts (14 April 1928 – 30 May 2003), often known as J. M. Roberts, was a British
TV series '' The Triumph of the West'', first broadcast in 1985.
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 st ...
with significant published works. From 1979 to 1985 he was vice chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...
of the University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
, and from 1985 to 1994, Warden of Merton College, Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. He was also well known as the author and presenter of the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Biography
Roberts was born in Bath, the son of a department store worker and educated atTaunton School
Taunton School is a co-educational independent school in the county town of Taunton in Somerset in South West England. It serves boarding and day-school pupils from the ages of 13 to 18.
The current headmaster is Lee Glaser, appointed in the aut ...
. He won a scholarship to Keble College
Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to ...
, Oxford, and took a first in Modern History in 1948.Guardian ObituaryRetrieved 13 July 2020 After
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
, he was elected a prize fellow of Magdalen College
Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
, Oxford, where he completed a doctoral thesis on the Italian republic set up during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1953 Roberts was elected a fellow and tutor in Modern History at Merton College, Oxford, and in the same year went as a Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation (United States), private U.S. foundation whose stated purpose is to "promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly fo ...
fellow to Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
and Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
, where his interests broadened beyond European history. He returned to America three times as a visiting professor in the 1960s. In 1964 Roberts lectured for the British Council in India, and from 1966 to 1977 Roberts served as joint editor of the English Historical Review
''The English Historical Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1886 and published by Oxford University Press (formerly Longman). It publishes articles on all aspects of history – British, European, and ...
.
From 1979 to 1985 Roberts was vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
where he felt obliged to make unpopular cuts ( Classics and Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
). Roberts could be an intimidating figure, even a "terrifying" one, but was described by colleagues as "a nice man, a very nice man, underneath it all".
Roberts did not hesitate to take on ambitious subjects, and in 1976 he published ''The History of the World'', regularly updated in later years and still in print today. ''The Times Literary Supplement
''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp.
History
The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' described Roberts as "master of the broad brush-stroke", and in 1985 Roberts wrote and presented the thirteen-part BBC television series '' The Triumph of the West'', a series which painted a broad canvas but avoided simplistic solutions, encouraging the audience to think and reach its own conclusions. Later he served as historical advisor to the BBC series ''People's Century
''People's Century'' is a television documentary series examining the 20th century. It was a joint production of the BBC in the United Kingdom and PBS member station WGBH Boston in the United States. The series was first shown on BBC in the 1995 ...
''.
From 1985 to 1994 Roberts was Warden
A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint.
''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...
of Merton College, Oxford. At Merton he became an important figure in the expansion and development of postgraduate studies. He also took up other roles, serving as a governor of the BBC from 1988 to 93 and as a trustee of Rhodes House
Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is listed Grade II* on ...
from 1988 to 94. In 1994 he retired and returned to his native Somerset.
In 1996, Roberts was appointed CBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
for his 'services to education and history' and made a Cavalier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
in 1991.
Roberts died in 2003, at Roadwater, Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, shortly after completing the fourth revised edition of his ''The New History of the World''.
Legacy
The John Roberts Memorial Fund was established in his honour at Merton College in 2003, with the aim of increasing the financial support available toundergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
and graduate student
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
The organization and s ...
s. The college hoped that the first recipient would be a history graduate.
When Roberts' ''The Mythology of the Secret Societies'' was republished in 2008, the back cover contained the following message: "We are living at a time when conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
are rife and the notion of secret plans for world domination under the guise of religious cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This s ...
or secret societies is perhaps considered more seriously than ever."
Personal life
On 10 September 1960, atMilton Abbas
Milton Abbas is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, lying around southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 755.
This planned community was built after the old Town was demolished in the 1 ...
, Roberts married (Mariabella) Rosalind Gardiner. The marriage was dissolved in 1964. At Oxford on 29 August 1964 Roberts married Judith Cecilia Mary Armitage, a schoolteacher, and they had one son and two daughters.
Selected works
*''Europe: 1880–1945'' (London: Longmans, 1967. Second, corrected and revised edition, 1970. Third edition, 2000 ) *''The Mythology of the Secret Societies'' (1972; reprint edition, Watkins, 2008 ) *''History of the World'' (New York:Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...
, 1976).
*''Revolution and Improvement: The Western World, 1775–1847'' (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1976).
*''The French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
'' (Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
: Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1978).
*''An Illustrated World History'' (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980. 8 volumes)
*''The Age of Upheaval: The World since 1914'' (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1981).
*''The Triumph of the West: The Origin, Rise, and Legacy of Western Civilization
Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''.
image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
'' (London: British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
, 1985).
*''A Short History of the World'' (1993).
*''A History of Europe'' (New York: 1996).
*''The Age of Diverging Traditions'' (London: Time-Life, 1998).
*''The Age of Revolution'' (London: Time-Life, 1998).
*'' Eastern Asia and Classical Greece'' (London: Time-Life, 1998).
*''The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century'' (1999).
*''Twentieth Century: A History of the World From 1901 to the Present'' (London: Allen Lane, 1999).
*''The New History of the World'' (6th Edition, 2013 )
References
External links
Portrait of John Morris Roberts by Tai-Shan Schierenberg on the Art UK website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, John 1928 births 2003 deaths Theorists on Western civilization People educated at Taunton School Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Wardens of Merton College, Oxford Vice-Chancellors of the University of Southampton Alumni of Keble College, Oxford 20th-century British historians People from Bath, Somerset