Robert Aldrich (born July 29, 1954, in New York) is an Australian historian and writer. Aldrich is a Professor of European History, he teaches and researches modern European and colonial history, including the history of France since the Revolution, the history of the French and British overseas empires, the history of 'sites of memory' and the history of gender and sexuality.

Life

After school Aldrich studied history in the United States of America, first at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, where he received his undergraduate degree, and afterwards at

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, where he gained his

Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

and PhD. Aldrich joined the faculty at

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

. He wrote several books on

French colonialism The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that existe ...

in the Pacific and on the history of homosexuality.

Awards and Recognition

In 2002 the French Government awarded Aldrich the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques. In 2008 he was elected a Fellow of both the

Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Austr ...

and the

Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australia ...

Works

* '' An Economic and Social History of Europe'', two volumes (1987) (with Frank Tipton) * ''The French Presence in the South Pacific, 1842–1940'' (1990) * ''France's Overseas Frontier: Départements et Territoires d'Outre-Mer'' (together with John Connell) (1992) * ''France and the South Pacific since 1940'' (1993) * ''The Seduction of the Mediterranean: Writing, Art and Homosexual Fantasy'' (1993) * ''Greater France: A History of French Overseas Expansion'' (1996) * ''The Last Colonies'' (1998) * ''Who's Who in gay and lesbian history'' (2001) (together with Garry Wotherspoon) * ''Colonialism and Homosexuality'' (2003) * ''Vestiges of the Colonial Empire in France: Monuments, Museums and Colonial Memories'' (2005) * ''Gay Life and Culture: A World History'', published by Thames & Hudson (2006) (German translation: ''Gleich und Anders – Eine Globale Geschichte der Homosexualität'', Murmann Verlag) (2007) * ''The Age of Empires'', published by Thames & Hudson (2007) * ''Gay Lives'', published by Thames & Hudson (2012) (UK title, ''Gay Life Stories'')

References

External links

University Sydney:Robert Aldrich

“Die-hard homophobes are now on the defensive”
– interview with Robert Aldrich, intercultural magazine "unique" (issue nr. 65, published 2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Robert 1954 births 20th-century Australian historians Brandeis University alumni Emory University alumni University of Sydney faculty Australian gay writers Historians of LGBT topics Living people Writers from New York (state) Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities American emigrants to Australia 21st-century Australian historians