Category Archives: history

What I Learned From ‘Luddites without condescension’

Posted on May 16, 2011 by johnl

A couple of Fridays ago (6th May 2011) I attended the Luddites Without Condescension event at Birkbeck. What I took away: 1: The Luddites are politically charged. The word is commonly used today as a slur to anyone questioning modern … Continue reading →

Posted in history, politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Luddite Bicentenary and Luddite Song

Posted on March 11, 2011 by johnl

Alerted today that this year – and the next two – is the bicentenary of the great Luddite movement. Still much maligned as backwards-looking, anti-progressive, and if I may be permitted an anarchronism, ‘technophobic’, it is important to remember these … Continue reading →

Posted in history, politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Return of History Workshop

Posted on December 3, 2010 by johnl

For some time I’ve been considering writing a post entitled “Whatever Happened to History Workshop?” Once it was the flag-bearer of radical history, a product of the struggles of the 60s and 70s, as much a movement as a publication. … Continue reading →

Posted in digital history, history | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Simon Schama’s pick of the historical pops

Posted on November 9, 2010 by johnl

Simon Schama, advisor to the government, has outlined his vision of history in schools. Despite the bizarre claim that Hong Kong runs the world and some purple prose, it’s not as facetious as one might fear; certainly, in his choice … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged | Leave a comment

What I learned from Wu Ming

Posted on October 12, 2010 by johnl

Last night, Wu Ming 1 and Wu Ming 4 visited Dalston. The salient points: 1: Wu Ming is a band. If musicians can group together, why not writers? 2: Wu Ming 6 is the waste paper basket, and a most … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment