Tuesday 6 October 2015

Who do you regard as the greatest living historian?

Although Alan [A.J.P. Taylor] was by the 1970s a fairly marginal member of the College, he would always make a point of attending the viva examinations of all the History candidates, asking them in turn the single question, 'Who do you regard as the greatest living historian?' There was never much doubt what Alan's own answer to this question was.

R.W. Johnson, 'Reflections on Magdalen's golden age' Magdalen College Record 2015, 123