Sir David Nicholas Cannadine (born 7 September 1950) is a British author and historian who specialises in

modern history The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applie ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and the

history of business History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. He is currently the Dodge Professor of History at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, a visiting professor of history at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, and the editor of the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''. He has been the president of the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...

since 2017, the UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. He also serves as the chairman of the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery in London and vice-chair of the editorial board of '' Past & Present''.

Education and early career

David Nicholas Cannadine was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

on 7 September 1950 and attended

King Edward VI Five Ways King Edward VI Five Ways (KEFW) is a highly selective co-educational state grammar school for ages 11–18 in Bartley Green, Birmingham, England. One of the seven establishments of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI, it is a volunt ...

School. He was educated at

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

, where he took a double first in history, at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...

, where he completed his

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

, and at

where he was a Jane Eliza Procter Visiting Fellow.Kelly Boyd, ''Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing'' (1999), p. 926. After completing his graduate work, he returned to

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, where he was a research fellow at St John's College, and was then elected a Fellow of Christ's College and appointed to a university lectureship in history.

Subsequent career

Cannadine was appointed to the professorial chair of history at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1988, returning to Britain ten years later as director of the

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hous ...

at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

and, subsequently, as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History. In 2008 he joined the History Department of Princeton University from which he has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year. In 2014 he was appointed

Editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

of the ''

'' and also to a visiting professorship at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Cannadine has held many other visitorial appointments: at the

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...

at Princeton (twice), at

Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public university, public research university, located in Bloomsbury, London, England, and a constituent college, member institution of the federal Universit ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, at the Whitney Humanities Center, Yale, at ANU Canberra, at the NHC North Carolina, at the

Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Mar ...

and at

New York University Stern School of Business The New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business (commonly referred to as NYU Stern, The Stern School of Business, or simply Stern) is the business school of New York University, a private research university based in New York City. I ...

. He is the general editor of the

Penguin History of Britain The ''Penguin History of Britain'' is a popular book series on British history, published by Penguin Books. It appeared in nine volumes between 1996 and 2018, with many of the individual works subsequently being republished in several editions. Its ...

and the Penguin History of Europe. He is currently completing a volume on the history of the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

Works

Cannadine's books include ''The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy'' (1990); ''

G. M. Trevelyan George Macaulay Trevelyan (16 February 1876 – 21 July 1962) was a British historian and academic. He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1898 to 1903. He then spent more than twenty years as a full-time author. He returned to the ...

: A Life in History'' (1992); ''Class in Britain'' (1998); '' Ornamentalism: How the British Saw Their Empire'' (2001); '' Mellon: An American Life'' (2006); ''The Thirty Year Rule'' (jointly, 2009); ''The Right Kind of History'' (jointly, 2011); and ''The Undivided Past: Humanity Beyond our Differences'' (2013). His most recent publications are '' Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800–1906'' (2018), published for the

series, as well as two edited volumes on

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

and on

Anthony Blunt Anthony Frederick Blunt (26 September 1907 – 26 March 1983), styled Sir Anthony Blunt KCVO from 1956 to November 1979, was a leading British art historian and Soviet spy. Blunt was professor of art history at the University of London, dire ...

. Cannadine has delivered many public lectures including the Raleigh Lecture at the British Academy (1997), the Carnochan Lecture at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

(2001), the Linbury Lecture at the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...

(2002), the T. S. Eliot Lecture at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

(2003), the George Macaulay Trevelyan Lectures at the University of Cambridge (2007), the Inaugural Lecture for the Centre for British Studies at Humboldt University, Berlin (2010), the Crosby Kemper Lecture at Westminster College (

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, the city is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Metropolita ...

), the Jon Sigurosson Lecture at the

University of Iceland The University of Iceland ( is, Háskóli Íslands ) is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' s ...

(2012), the Haaga Lecture at the

(2012), the Creighton Lecture at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

(2013), the Robb Lectures at the University of Auckland, New Zealand (2015), the Wolfson Anniversary Lecture at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

(2015), the Oxford University Press Centenary Lecture (2017) and the Founder's Lecture at

(2019).

Public work

Cannadine has served as a vice-president of the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

(1998–2002) and as a member of the advisory council, Public Record Office, subsequently National Archives (1999–2004); as a trustee and vice-chairman of the

Kennedy Memorial Trust Kennedy Scholarships provide full funding for up to ten British post-graduate students to study at either Harvard University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Susan Hockfield, the sixteenth president of MIT, described the schol ...

(1999–2010); as a trustee, vice-chair and chair of the National Portrait Gallery (2000–12); as a commissioner of

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

(2001–09) and as

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of its Blue Plaques Panel (2006–13); as a member of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (2004–14); and as chair of Churchill 2015 (2013–15). Cannadine is also widely known as a commentator on current events, in newspapers, on the radio and on television; he has been a long-standing contributor to ''A Point of View'', broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

, as the successor to Alastair Cooke's '' Letter from America''; and he has also written and presented a series of programmes on ''Churchill's Other Lives''. He has been active in attempts to reform and improve the history curriculum in the United Kingdom. He also often contributes to contemporary discussions on the present-day

British monarchy The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

. Currently, Cannadine serves as a member of the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...

Banknote Character Advisory Committee; he is a trustee of the Rothschild Archive, the Gordon Brown Archive and

Gladstone's Library Gladstone's Library, known until 2010 as St Deiniol's Library ( cy, Llyfrgell Deiniol Sant), is a residential library in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales. It is a Grade I listed building and a registered charity. Gladstone's Library is Britain' ...

; and of the Library of Birmingham Development Trust, the Royal Academy Trust, Historic Royal Palaces and the

Wolfson Foundation The Wolfson Foundation is a charity that awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science and medicine, health, education and the arts and humanities. Overview The endowment of the Wolfson Foundation is currently some £800 million, ...

. He is also 168th president of The Birmingham & Midland Institute, a vice-president of the

Victorian Society The Victorian Society is a UK amenity society and membership organisation that campaigns to preserve and promote interest in Victorian and Edwardian architecture and heritage built between 1837 and 1914 in England and Wales. It is a registered ...

, vice-chairman of the Westminster Abbey Fabric Commission, and of the editorial board of '' Past & Present'' and president of the Friends of the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

Honours and distinctions

Cannadine has been elected a Fellow of the

(1981), a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

(1998), a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...

(1999), a Fellow of the

(1999), and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (2005). He has been awarded the Lionel Trilling Prize (1991) and the Dean's Distinguished Award in the Humanities (1996) by Columbia University, the Dickinson Medal by the

Newcomen Society Newcomen may refer to: People * John Newcomen (c.1613–1630), English first white settler murdered by another white settler in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts * Matthew Newcomen (c. 1610–1669), English nonconformist churchman *Thomas Newcomen (16 ...

(2003), the Minerva Medal of the

Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow is a learned society established in 1802 "''for the improvement of the Arts and Sciences''" in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It runs a programme of lectures, starting its 220th Series in October 2021. ...

(2013), the Norton Medlicott Medal of the

Historical Association The Historical Association is a membership organisation of historians and scholars founded in 1906 and based in London. Its goals are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong lea ...

(2013), and the Blenheim Award of the

International Churchill Society The International Churchill Society (ICS), formerly known as the Churchill Centre, studies the life and works of Winston Churchill. The Society's exhibits are located at the Churchill War Rooms in London, and the National Churchill Library and ...

(2016). Cannadine holds

honorary degrees An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

from the

London South Bank University London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough ...

(2001), the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

(2001), the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

(2002), the

University of Worcester , motto_lang = la , mottoeng = ''Aspire to Inspire'' , established = 1946 – Worcester Emergency Teacher Training College 1948 – Worcester Teacher Training College 1976 – Worcester College of Higher Education 1997 – ...

(2011),

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

(2016), the

(2017), the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_labe ...

(2019) and

Queen's University, Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

(2020). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the

(2005),

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

(2005), the Historical Association (2011), and

(2012) and an Honorary Churchill Fellow of Westminster College,

(2012). He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

for "services to scholarship" in 2009. More recently, in April 2018 Cannadine was elected an international honorary member of the

American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States of America, United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bow ...

. He was elected a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 2019.

Personal life

Cannadine is married to fellow historian

Linda Colley Dame Linda Jane Colley, (born 13 September 1949 in Chester, England) is an expert on British, imperial and global history from 1700. She is Shelby M. C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University and a long-term fellow in history at ...

.Even history holds no solace
/ref>

Publications

* ''Lords and Landlords: The Aristocracy and the Towns, 1774–1967'' (1980) * ''Patricians, Power and Politics in Nineteenth-century Towns'' (1982) (editor) * Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat': Winston Churchill's Famous Speeches'' (1989) (editor) * ''The Pleasures of the Past'' (1989) * ''The First Modern Society: Essays in English History in Honour of

Lawrence Stone Lawrence Stone (4 December 1919 – 16 June 1999) was an English historian of early modern Britain, after a start to his career as an art historian of English medieval art. He is noted for his work on the English Civil War and the history of marr ...

'' (1989) (editor) (with A.L. Beier and James Rosenheim) * ''The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy'' (1990) * '' G.M. Trevelyan: A Life in History'' (1992) * ''Aspects of Aristocracy: Grandeur and Decline in Modern Britain'' (1994) * ''The Rise and Fall of Class in Britain'' (1998) * ''History in Our Time'' (1998) * '' Ornamentalism: How the British Saw Their Empire'' (2001) * ''In Churchill's Shadow: Confronting the Past in Modern Britain'' (2002) * ''What Is History Now?'' (2002) (editor) * ''History and the Media'' (2004) (editor) * ''Churchill in the Twenty-First Century'' (2004) (editor) (with Roland Quinault) * '' Admiral Lord Nelson: Context and Legacy'' (2005) (editor) * ''Gunpowder Plots: A Celebration of 400 Years of Bonfire Night'' (jointly 2005) * ''

Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England It may also refer to: Music * ''Trafalgar'' (album), by the Bee Gees Pl ...

: A Battle and its Afterlife'' (2006) (editor) * '' Mellon: An American Life'' (2006) * ''Empire, the Sea and Global History: Britain's Maritime World 1763–1833'' (2007) (editor) * '' National Portrait Gallery: A Brief History'' (2007) * ''Empire, the Sea and Global History: Britain's Maritime World, c.1763–1840'' (2007) (editor) * ''Making History Now and Then: Discoveries, Controversies and Explorations'' (2008) * ''History and Philanthropy: Past, Present and Future'' (2008) (editor) (with Jill Pellew) * ''The Thirty Year Rule'' (jointly, 2009) * ''The Right Kind of History: Teaching the Past in Twentieth-Century England'' (2011) (with Jenny Keating and Nicola Sheldon) * ''The Undivided Past: History Beyond Our Differences'' (2013) * ''

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

'' (Penguin Monarchs series) (2014) * ''Heroic Chancellor:

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

and

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

'' (2015) * ''

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

: A Life and Legacy'' (2017) * '' Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800–1906'' (

) (2018) * ''The Country House: Past, Present and Future'' (2018) (editor) (with Jeremy Musson) * ''Why Collect Now? A Report on the State of Museums and of Collecting'' (2019) * ''

: A Church in History'' (2019) (editor) * ''A Question of Retribution?: The British Academy and the Matter of

'' (2020) (editor)

Footnotes

External links

Official webpageDirectory
of Fellows of the

''Debrett's People of Today''"Embracing Complexity - A Conversation with David Cannadine"
''Ideas Roadshow'', 2015

''The Telegraph'', 2005 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannadine, David 1950 births Living people People from Birmingham, West Midlands Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge Fellows of Clare College, Cambridge Columbia University faculty Princeton University faculty Academics of the University of London Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Dictionary of National Biography Knights Bachelor People educated at King Edward VI Five Ways Members of the American Philosophical Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London