Professor Park Wonyong of National Pukyong University Publishes 'Edward Carr'

Focused Spotlight on the Role as a Practical Intellectual

‘What Is History?’ renowned British world historian Edward Hallet Carr (1892?1982) is newly spotlighted in the recently published book Edward Carr (Compbooks Campus).

Cover of 'Edward Carr'.

Written by Professor Park Wonyong of the Department of History at National Pukyong University, this book focuses intensively on the moments that best reveal Carr’s traits as a practical intellectual, presenting a newly discovered true side of Carr that we had not known before.

Carr, who had a diverse career as a journalist, professor of international relations, and historian, is highly regarded for his work The Twenty Years' Crisis, which remains an outstanding achievement in the field of international relations, and A History of Soviet Russia, which has become the standard for Western Soviet history research. Especially, What Is History? is considered a classic in the philosophy of history, still used today as a university textbook and a popular reading book for the general public.

This book examines Carr’s academic journey in detail through ten key themes: ▲Liberalism ▲Dostoevsky and Marx ▲The Interwar Crisis ▲Soviet Russia as an Alternative ▲A History of Soviet Russia ▲Objectivity of History ▲Causality in History ▲Progress of History ▲Historian’s Beliefs ▲‘Carr of the 21st Century’.

In its review, the publisher stated, “The proposition that ‘history is a continuous dialogue between the past and the present’ has been repeatedly cited for over half a century, yet few truly know what kind of life Carr lived and what he researched. Carr studied the historical experience of Soviet Russia even amid the ideological confrontation of the Cold War, continuously seeking alternatives to the Western capitalist system and international order. Carr’s academic attitude, which did not yield to the pressures of the era and aimed to contribute to building a better society, still resonates deeply with us today.”

Professor Park Wonyong.

Professor Park Wonyong of National Pukyong University, who published this book, is an expert on the political and cultural history of Soviet Russia. His authored works include Physical Culture and Sports in Soviet Russia, Highlights of Maritime History (co-authored), and Sports Speak History (co-authored). His translations include Eric Hobsbawm: A Biography, Thinking About History, E. H. Carr: A Biography, and The October Revolution: Memory and Formation of the Bolshevik Revolution.