Not a Marxist

To the Editors:

Miss Behrens, in her interesting and perceptive article, suggests that, as a historian, my inspiration has been Marxist. I find this assertion surprising and so would, no doubt, my Marxist friends. I have no knowledge of Marx, and have been criticized by Marxist historians for having a historical approach that they have described as impressionistic and unsystematic. In fact, I do not think that I belong to any particular discipline. I have, too, occasionally lapsed into English, or what I believe to be English, and have two books coming out in that language this year. In the second one—Problems of French Popular History (Clarendon Press) I echo your reviewer’s horror for the apologists of popular violence and savagery.

Richard C. Cobb

Balliol College

Oxford