Interpretations of History

[@davidstarkeytalks]

Please join the David Starkey Members' Club via Patreon www.patreon.com/davidstarkeytalks or Subscribestar www.subscribestar.com/david-starkey-talks and submit questions for members Q & A videos. Also visit www.davidstarkey.com to make a donation and visit the channel store shop.davidstarkey.com. Thank you for watching.

[@j0nnyism]

I was taught to avoid the roomy questions at school so Thankyou for answering that one

[@walterreeves3679]

I rather doubt that E.H. Carr would have accepted your description of his method and theory of history. It seems to me that such a likely dissent would qualify as evidence. At least it would if he were here to speak for himself.

[@nicoladisvevia]

To speak into a camera for such a length of time with no one else present, and to do so without hesitation, deviation or repetition, is quite some skill. It appears that these videos are all produced in one take. I congratulate you on this excellent and engaging work!

[@crawford1083]

Enthusiasm and knowledge and ability and a brilliant orator.

[@frederickwallace6552]

Kenneth would be fuming.

[@steviemac42]

The first one minute and twenty seconds has had me buckled, this man is one of our great nations treasures, i learn so much from him. I thought when i was sixteen ( now 58 ) i wanted to go University and study English literature. Professor Starkey talks of apprenticeship, mine was that of a Marine Electrician at Messrs Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Wallsend on Tyne. I realised later in life it was History that i had yearned for. Starkey perhaps reflects all our afore ideal , it is a great thing as a working class lad to have access to this man. I love you tube for that....Happy Christmas.

[@crawford1083]

Hear hear! So so SO much better than other TV historians than useless types like Mary Beard and Lucy Worsley and Susannah Lipscomb and others.

[@BaronMichaelDeBlone1066]

Great that somebody asked a question referring to historians of a previous generation. I remember being told by a tutor that a particular author's work was out of date to which I replied: I thought all history was out of date. It is what I love most about the subject - that it is old and still so bloody interesting. I worked with geriatrics when I was very young and I found that interesting, one of the experiences which helped me grow as a human being - I was furious about all those old people dying in care homes early in this apparent pandemic without a mortality rate to match. I do hope one day to be able to joyously remark that: 'postmodernism is out of date' and I can see Dr. Starkey as much as anybody being significant in that process.

[@paulwilliamson2882]

Bless you. Post modernism exists to destroy its legs underneath that keep it standing. Then it destroys its entrails until it cannot digest. Then it destroys its lungs and heart so it can no longer breath and cleanse its body. And finally it murders its own mind and head so it no longer thinks nor exists.

[@shaughnfourie304]

thank you for your heartfelt opinions

[@joyperry8310]

Thank you so much for these videos. I am so happy that I can listen to David Starkey’s thoughts anytime! He is just marvelous and I so appreciate the information!

[@alisonrogerson3143]

Ah, I just love David Starkey. Could listen all day. I recall watching your documentaries in the years which are well behind us. I always thought your facial expression, whilst peeking out behind masonry during a documentary, for eg was so cute! It’s your voice too - you have this quality of learned reassurance. Although I was at school in Scotland, I took the chance of studying for A-level history. This was a step beyond the Scottish higher examination. It was a fascinating course featuring the reformation as just one of the units. I always remember that we had to buy this very large paperback written by J.J. Scarisbrick. I also owned G.R. Elton’s Reformation Europe. This is a nostalgic journey for me.

[@Karlopapa]

Great to listen to Mr Starkey. He always delivers.

[@wessexfox5197]

As a Master’s student at an “ok” but still very modernist university, nothing brings me more joy than a new David Starkey Talks video.

[@geraldpower5491]

I was so happy to stumble across this video (every now and then I try to find Geoffrey Elton himself on KZbin, but get only Elton John). I began my training as a historian at the turn of millennium under one of David Starkey's former students, and it was an inspiring feeling to hear that my advisor had been trained by Starkey, and that Starkey had been trained by Elton. In a very small way I am aware of this genealogy when I teach and advise my own students today. I was fascinated to hear David talk about E.H. Carr and Elton, and to hear about the 'facts of Tudor government' debate from the inside. I consulted my old copy of Elton's England Under the Tudors (third edition) to check what the great man had to say about David in that absolutely splendid revisions section. It is a terse dismissal (with, revealingly, no appeal to any 'facts'). I remain a huge admirer of Elton, though, and agree with almost everything he puts forward in the Practice of History. David Starkey makes his point about the material dimension to historical very forcefully, but I would like to see other applications of this dictum across a range of historical problems before I join him. For me, textual evidence remains sovereign.

[@margyrowland]

Thank you again Mr Starkey for giving us these videos. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

[@suzannetevlin8439]

Simply brilliant! This is exactly what is required in the study of art history as well. I really could listen to your thoughtful and considered monologues for a very long time.

[@petelegg3494]

You have smashed it again Dave, absolutely brilliant. X

[@johnhumberstone9674]

Absolutely brilliant, really enjoyed this. It is so refreshing to hear a professional historian doing their job the way it should be done. Many thanks.

[@offaofmercia3329]

Utterly riveting, thank you David.

[@markcreemore4915]

One of the most illuminating videos by Starkey yet.

[@shaughnfourie304]

Thank you so much for your marvellous vision of history Mr Starkey

[@lydiamalone1859]

Thank you for pointing out importance of patterns. This is something I drilled into my kids to look for in just about every Walk of Life. One reason is because the public seems to be focused on "events" or "news" of the moment and never connect the dots to other things that are going on that may be related which gives one a much bigger picture. Therefore they rarely learn from anything. It's also a good focus when you are getting to know people. Look at patterns of behavior, etc. You can save a lot of trouble and heartache. A bird's eye view of History is also helpful when it comes to patterns. For example, you realize "woke" is religious and even deadly. And there are patterns of it throughout history. The sin sniffing Puritans burning witches is a good example. A contra to that would be our founder John Adams who despised that calvinist approach to God which is why he did not become a clergy.

[@davewarwicker2512]

You mentioned your kids. I work in schools and now log I see taught. A ten-year-old told me they liked history the Tudors. When I asked her to tell me what she'd learned, she said "There were poor Tudor children and rich Tudor children." - Just so you know what to look out for :-)

[@philipbrooks402]

Lydia, I assume by John Adams you mean your second President. On this side of the Atlantic he appears to be somewhat overlooked, squeezed between Washington and Jefferson. He seemed to have a strong moral character about him, exemplified by his acting as the lawyer for some Redcoats after a shooting incident, ignoring the condemnation that it brought on himself. Best wishes.

[@skadiwarrior2053]

@Voiceofsanity It is if not put into context and used simply to promote a modern ideology, which I suspect is why educators will focus on 'class differences'.

[@adrianlawrence5208]

May one wish everybody a very Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year. David Starkey's talks are enlightening and entertaining. To my mind this is a winning combination. If one could make a request, I would love to hear David speak about how the Tudor dynasty used the arts to gain, maintain and project political power domestically and internationally.🙏

[@sloths-df3gf]

Nobody today seems capable of doing this kind of lecture like Prof. Starkey.

[@zoobee]

I hope David uploads something on Christmas day for us would be such a lovely present. Everyone, if you can please donate to David to thank him for taking the time to make these videos for us x

[@carolabohm2439]

Absolutely riveting. Thank you.

[@lluisboschpascual4869]

Great talk! Enjoyed and learned in every minute

[@katherinecollins4685]

Fantastic job

[@Mitch93]

Fantastic video, we need more videos like this!

[@juvenalsdad4175]

A more comprehensive answer to Simon's question than he was probably expecting. As I have no dog in the fight, I would say that I am very grateful to Geoffrey Elton, who's books assisted me with my A level history studies all those years ago.

[@daisyroots8926]

I love David Starkey platonically. He should be Sir D. Starkey

[@maryearll3359]

@ Daisy Roots. I quite agree, should have been knighted ages ago.

[@Eris123451]

Sir Jimmy Saville ? Sir Cyril Smith ? Sir Tony Blair ? Maybe not.

[@martygahan]

This series is very good.

[@SengokuStudies]

My area of study is quite different than yours historically. However, I very much like your approach to history and it is one that I try to do myself before I even heard this. The use of evidence on which to piece things together, find/create patterns, and inform interpretations, and so on is important. I try to be an evidence based student of history despite my human flaws and short comings.

[@FunkmeisterOfSedgley]

Brilliant as always. Thanks.

[@denniscarvell1828]

When I listen to this intense man I feel that what’s said should have importance to help people live their lives today in a good way, but the same things keep on repeating themselves because of human nature . Can the study of the past ever eliminate the failures of the past ,or should great minds study the future ? Although Mr Starkey can offed, even in this I find a profoundness of purpose In his spoken words.

[@melaniebyng2683]

Brilliant. Thank you, David

[@markbateman9222]

I read both Elton and Carr as a sixth former and again as an under graduate. As a teacher of A Level history I introduced both books to those pupils who were going on to study the subject at University. I always enjoyed the debate between the two schools. The thing that always struck me is that when it came to the actual writing of history - detailed study of a particular topic or period - there was little difference between the two. Nobody can read Carr's monumental history of the Soviet Union and come away thinking that this work was not based on detailed study of the factual evidence -a la Elton! In modern terms it is the most un-woke stuff you could possibly read!

[@no_namematrix8630]

Time for that history tea! Slurp slurp!!

[@syedadeelhussain2691]

Would be highly appreciable if you can do a VLOG on differences between Anthropology, History and Mythology for students. Thank you.

[@zoobee]

David could read the railway timetable and I would be enraptured. 45 minutes on a Friday night on the philosophies of history and I'm involved deeply in the debates

[@paulwilliamson2882]

This is just superb to listen to. To hear and understand how the same approach to history by two people can result with two opposing outcomes. And that is before post modernism. So there may be at least 3 different outcomes to history in this post modern age. This is so apposite with respect to 'science' so called. 'We follow the science '. Which 'science' is being followed? Are there at least 3 different views of scientific facts? Which is being propagated in 2022?

[@SMD2308]

As a secondary school teacher of English and doing my own doctoral studies, I completely agree with your observations about the two approaches to learning today. I am finding students are reading less and less, resulting in most having almost no general knowledge. It’s their lack of historical knowledge that makes teaching senior level literature almost impossible. This widespread ignorance genuinely concerns me - how can we maintain a healthy democracy with our young being so ignorant?

[@thomaslinton5765]

iI once looked at Carr to try to learn about the 1921 famine. He gave it such short shrift as to communoicate that he found that event to have no historic significance.

[@lesleybthedapperkiwi]

Got my Truth T Shirt today - proudly wearing in New Zealand. Thank you 🙌

[@lydiamalone1859]

I ordered one and I'm looking forward to giving it to my 21-year-old daughter who despairs of her peer group.

[@paulwilliamson2882]

Bless you Lesley.

[@orglancs]

I'm not a historian, maybe I'm a bit of an amateur one, but this is all so interesting and exciting and hugely knowledgeable that I find myself wishing I had studied history at university. Thank you, DS, for such a stimulating and thoughtful talk. It is something so positive that your gifts are available to anyone who wants to listen now.

[@SSNewberry]

It is a great honour to say that one may disagree the approach but underline the importance to the dialog. David Starkey is such a man.

[@johnkad123]

I come different disciplines (psychology) but I find his discussion of research methods absolutely fascinating. Plus, good on him for questioning fads.

[@DoctorPhobos]

I’m from a much different discipline of Meteorology and English. I also found it fascinating and quite useful.

[@Fanakapan222]

The fact still remains, that the further in the past the history one may interpret in a novel way, the safer the ground one is on. Probably why more modern history is much more exciting.

[@JohnnyNorfolk]

I am reminded what David Starkey called Boris Johnson in 2005 a " Jester Despot" How right he was.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Speaking of roomy questions, I would love for you to do a series on the, let’s say, five most important events (like the Black Death), processes (like Christianization of the Roman Empire), or short periods of rapid cultural development (like 5th Century, BC Athens) that shaped Western Culture, in your opinion. I have my ever-changing short-list, but I would so enjoy hearing your list, followed by a lecture on each, describing how they changed Europe. I know there were many important extra-European ones, ones, too, but I long ago decided to focus on European history as it) is the root of my own culture, 2) reflects the experience of my ancestors and 3) because many more sources on Europe are available to me, as I’m limited in language fluency to English only. I would love to learn Mandarin Chinese and delve into the history of China, but the language barrier is enormous, and frankly, it’s just not as relevant to my life, or that of my ancestors.

[@IK-wc4od]

Sir Starkey

[@glennewell2436]

The best introduction to the main concepts of history you will ever get.

[@analogeit]

Any other vids like this? Historian talking about the nature of History

[@jeffwalther3935]

I think your herein tiny personal side-detail of reported relationship to your mentor, as their "Lucifer", under the circumstances of being a professional historian scholar of the 20th century, is uncannily identical to the "Phaedrus" (hungry relentless wolf) characterization of Socrates' Plato or Aristotle's? protégé student relationship in the fictional, story-based bestselling novel of philosophical inquiry - "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence. ALL the best characteristics of both stories hero characters, as an adamant young critical student and doctrinal champion, relentlessly dedicated to finding truth are selfsame favorites of mine and I too am a scientific historian scholar; i.e., "me too". I envy you, this particular experience, ad infinitum. It must have been breathtaking exciting many times over before graduation, - and still, relatively speaking, imho.

[@UncleBoratagain]

I honestly do not know how I could live without the rancid contentiousness of Prof.Starkey. How could our society partially (yet actually fail) to 'cancel' him? They cannot.

[@paulwilliamson2882]

The Truth can never be cancelled. It is literally impossible and has been decreed for all eternity.

[@CultgentlemanJack]

Love your historical genius.. love your channel keep well David we need Your brilliant mind.

[@annamcuthbert3993]

Excellent talk David xx

[@gideon_uk9754]

I enjoyed that - it got the cogs turning which is always good.

[@frederickwallace6552]

Keep up the good work.

[@mattgumbley1317]

I like how responsive Dr Starkey is with this channel. I noticed a comment asking for a historiographic view a few videos ago, I will need to consider a worthy suggestion

[@Philiptanzer]

Loved it.

[@juanitatownsley1254]

brilliant

[@barrylarking8986]

Beyond price.

[@kerravon2237]

what a very interesting subject history is the more i read the more i find out that our own history is quite amazeing thanks for your upload keep them coming history makes i am sure think about the past and then to make the furtue more interesing forf them to come david have a safe and a happy christmas and i hope a more better new year yours kerr leicestershire

[@magimon91834]

What a great Q&A

[@awhite3747]

I suspect that I will generate a great deal of sniggering or dismissive comments but, until 11 years old, I grew up on a diet of HE Marshall, RJ Unstead and Ladybird books. When I was 10, I was bought a book called "Civilisations", an A3 size book in which was a centrefold tabulation of civilisations across a timeline. I still remember the shock of realising that the world of Shaffer's 'The Royal Hunt of The Sun' existed coincidentally with the Tudors. The importance and beauty of context was laid bare to me. As to being sniffy about Unstead and Marshall, 'People in History' and 'Our Island Story' respectively fired my interest at a young age. As an adult, I know that they're probably 20% fact and the rest vivid painting but I know about the Empress Matilda, about Cadman, the Venerable Bede, Lady Nithsdale and so on. When I asked my best friend's 13 year old whether she knew who was King Alfred and why he's so important, she said 'no'. But she could tell me about the American Wars and about slavery. Do I just accept that I am a fossil at 52?!

[@charmedsuperior2222]

Fantastic channel

[@damianbylightning6823]

The mumbo-jumbo in schools, such as child-centred and Marxist-inspired source scouring, would not be so bad if philosophers had more say. Philosophers have been more resistant to the madness. Sadly, the majority of such sages who are immune to the disease have a tendency to protecting their quiet lives. The few who follow the crowd are very vocal. With freinds like that...

[@aliwoods3004]

Simply fantastic. I actually prefer this forum to the old TV days as you are much more accessible. Thank and please keep it going. I look foward to seeing you next time. I have a question: Would Arthur have been crowned Arthur the 2nd. Are there any records on Henry Vii's & Elizabeth's thoughts on Arthur's planned succession... If so what do you think that says about their contemporary understanding of our history?

[@davepangolin4996]

32k subs … should be more

[@chrislyne377]

I studied history at Essex University and was made to look at everything through theoretical lenses, including Marxism. I just couldn't get on with it as it just seemed anathema to everything I understood history should be. It always seemed to me that it was a way of starting with a conclusion and then using the evidence to get the answer you want. I never finished my degree but my love of history remains strong to this day

[@shaughnfourie304]

that is a non university if that is the way they abuse learning

[@macgregordespitethem]

The best of British..not just as an historian but as a human being....thankyou David

[@kerravon2237]

your upload was vrey good hope to see you soon stay safe david see you next year on your youtube channel thanks again yours kerr leicestershire

[@ladyflibblesworth7282]

I love the local traditions of Wales, we still pass down stories of the great flood and Mari Loyd the horse skull still sings rude songs demanding entry, cake and beer :) I hate how everything not written by the Romans is automatically considered a myth. But how can we unlock human origins without Welsh history or even English, Scottish and Irish. Even my old sir name makes no sense - Britton - it's an enigma that popped into existence in the 12th century from Britany....still I don't think that's as far as it goes. And genetically what's the origin of green eyes? Why did so many human developments start here? Why is our real history rotting throughout the woodlands? Why are the megaliths neglected, moved and built on round here so much? Why is our Roman history so fake to me....even the ruins look inconsistent. And almost always built over the original feature they were trying to hide. Yet Roman history is all that matters. I don't ever want to learn a history that is a mere idealized painting of the past. I genuinely want to see the realities of the past, present and maybe even the future. It seems to me that History is doomed to repeat itself, however I say that for at least 12,000 years the rich and powerful members of the human race treat every disaster like a feeding frenzy as those reliant on civilization begin to fall, a new leader turns up just in time to point the finger, start a new religion or movement, create the illusion of popularity and erase all options of resistance and the new king is born again and again and again. I see the Vatican like a sick trophy cabinet similar to that of a serial killer. I bet the vaults are full of our old written texts and examples from our real history. I think the Ark might possibly be a metaphor for the bible itself and it's powers of destruction on a civilization :) of course now we hate the white man but the first victim was the route of all evil... One thing every religion cannot tolerate is puppets pulled by other puppeteers but there is one thing they loathe entirely - a puppet without strings at all.

[@FizuliAbilov]

❤❤❤

[@piplee1439]

Elton ? Did u write Candle in the Wind ?

[@petah-peoplefortheendlesst4668]

I just wanna say that as much as I love Dr. Starkey, I find overly academic topics like historical methodology & source evaluation inaccessible, totally insipid, & dull. I am subbed and joined on Patreon because I want to hear Starkey's hot & edgy takes on historical figures & events, as well as hear dramatic retelling of the key events that shaped Britain like in the Monarchy series. Discussions like these on historiography & approaches to source criticism are totally uninteresting to me.

[@henryviii6341]

hooray a new DS video.

[@jamesburke2094]

any possibility of increasing the volume please?

[@Eris123451]

Yes just turn it up.

[@saxglend9439]

History is a mystery.

[@crawford1083]

Would love to get within a right-hook length of the elecen who "dislike" this video! Wayne Kerrs!

[@johnryder180]

Most KZbinrs have an attention span of 25 minutes.

[@paradox7358]

It does make me laugh and cringe at some people's ingnorance of history. When I went to school in the early 2000s, my history education was shockingly bad. There was too much focus on 'analysing history' rather than learning historical facts. I was lucky though to have parents that encouraged me, and I still have a keen interest in history.

[@davidpnewton]

@Voiceofsanity I agree both are needed. However before you can analyse you have to have a framework for that analysis. That's why kings, battles etc are so important. You MUST know the basic flow of history to be able to have a context to conduct a proper analysis. For example consider Simon de Montfort. Huge numbers of people will never have heard of him, despite his importance to English history. The bare facts of the matter are that he revolted against Henry III, almost won but then lost the Battle of Evesham against Prince Edward. If you don't know that he revolted, when he revolted and that he lost then you can't begin to ask questions like why did he revolt at that particular time? What was he trying to achieve when he revolted? Were there any lasting consequences of his revolt? What was the military history of the campaign? Without the framework of those most basic of facts there is no point even trying to analyse sources. A more prosaic example comes in genealogy. That's the study of history just as much as what Starkey does, primary source work and all. Consider Boston and Boston. Two places separated by the Atlantic Ocean (Lincolnshire and Massachusetts). Yet look at the "research" of a huge number of "genealogists" and you will find one child allegedly in America in 1655, one in Lincolnshire in 1656, then straight back across the Atlantic by 1658. No consideration of the realities of geography and transport back then. Why? A fundamental lack of a decent, basic, factual framework upon which to build the research. The fact is that back then it took a long time to get anywhere and that crossing the Atlantic was not something undertaken lightly. That lack of proper consideration of the realities of travel in the 17th century is just as bad as having no idea who Simon de Montfort and Henry III were when considering English history. It's merely a different expression of the a-factual nature of much of modern education.

[@davidpnewton]

@Voiceofsanity "I think that nobody is disputing that dates aren't important ..." I'll assume that the "aren't" there is a slip as it makes the phrase mean exactly the opposite of what it otherwise would. However if my assumption is correct then I'm afraid you are very, very, very wrong. It is precisely the Marxists and post-modernists that do the very thing of disputing that dates are important. After all dates are objective facts which cannot exist according to post-modernist nonsense. You MUST have the framework of facts first. Without the framework there is no basis upon which to proceed. Now simply teaching it by rote as a recited list is dreadful. However that's stylistic not substantive. Note what Starkey said about sources: he did not deal with primary sources themselves substantively until he was a third year undergraduate. Now I might dispute the exact timing of things with respect to their introduction but I do not dispute the sentiment behind it. The sentiment is that you absolutely have to have a background of facts and enough historiography and research training to both know what you are dealing with and be able to interpret what you are dealing with properly. Whitehall v Westminster for meetings of the Privy Council is the example of that in the video. Again turning to my own area of primary source history research (genealogy) the examples are legion of people making idiotic statements and coming to ridiculous conclusions because of their lack of thought about the most basic of historical or geographical or sociological considerations. How long did it take to travel from one place to another for example.

[@gvbrandolini]

Interesante

[@egverlander]

Troll alert below: Voiceofsanity.

[@raycarter4030]

in his potted history of Britain, why did Roy Strong not Mention Edward I’s expulsion of the Jews and why did he blithely ascribe Edward’s fund raising to “Italian Financiers?”

[@blackbaron0]

Was it not E H Carr who condemned India for not being able to feed its people when apparently Maoist China could? Never heard of the Great Leap Forward I assume. Perhaps this is an example of Carr picking the facts thich are important to him and discarding the rest. Or perhaps just blindness to the facts that do not suit his rhetoric.

[@roberttreborable]

So during Henry VIII day the country was ruled from Whitehall and Westminster just a sideshow; How different from today eh...😂

[@jacobzaranyika9334]

Don't give damn. Thumbnail image

[@seanwalker6460]

Anything I write in response to this will sound trite and puerile. Pity David Starkey didn't expand his teaching to other eras.

[@huddlechannel2932]

I hate questions that are wrapped in commentary.