Michael Denis Biddiss (born 1942) is emeritus professor of history at the University of Reading. He specialises in the history of the development of racist ideology, and the

history of medicine The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies. The history of med ...

Early life

Michael Denis Biddiss was born in 1942. He was educated at

St Joseph's Academy, Blackheath St Josephs Academy was an all-boys Roman Catholic Academy (English school), academy located in Blackheath, London, England. Saint Joseph's Academy began life in 1860 as an extension of the work of the De La Salle Brothers in Saint Joseph's Colle ...

, and

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...

, where he received a first in Part II of the historical

tripos TRIPOS (''TRIvial Portable Operating System'') is a computer operating system. Development started in 1976 at the Computer Laboratory of Cambridge University and it was headed by Dr. Martin Richards. The first version appeared in January 1978 a ...

in 1964.

Career

Biddiss was formerly a fellow of

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

. He has been professor of history at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

since 1979 (emeritus since 2004), and was dean of letters and social sciences from 1982 to 1985. He was president 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 ...

from 1991 to 1994. He specialises in the history of the development of racist ideology.

Selected publications

* ''The age of the masses: Ideas and society in Europe since 1870''. Penguin, 1977. * ''Father of racist ideology: The social and political thought of Count Gobineau''. Weybright & Talley, New York, 1970. Reviewed Work: ''Father of Racist Ideology: The Social and Political Thought of Count Gobineau''
by Michael D. Biddiss Review by: George W. Stocking, Jr.

American Journal of Sociology The ''American Journal of Sociology'' is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly academic journal that publishes original research and book reviews in the field of sociology and related social sciences. It was founded in 1895 as the first journal in its disci ...

Vol. 77, No. 2 (Sep. 1971), pp. 349–351. Retrieved 6 December 2015. * ''Gobineau: Selected political writings''.

Jonathan Cape Jonathan Cape is a British publishing firm headquartered in London and founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death. Cape and his business partner Wren Howard (1893–1968) set up the publishing house in ...

, London, 1970. (Editor and introduction) ( Roots of the Right series) * ''Thatcherism: Personality and politics''. Macmillan, Basingstoke, 1987. (Edited with Kenneth R. Minogue) * ''Images of race''.

Leicester University Press The University of Leicester ( ) is a public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, University College, Leicester, gained university ...

, Leicester, 1979. (Editor) * ''The uses and abuses of antiquity''. Peter Lang, 1999. (Editor with

Maria Wyke Maria Wyke (born 13 July 1957) is professor of Latin at University College, London. She is a specialist in Latin love poetry, classical reception studies, and the interpretation of the roles of men and women in the ancient world. She has also w ...

) * ''Themes in modern European history, 1890–1945''. Routledge, 2009. (Edited with

Nicholas Atkin Nicholas "Nick" James Atkin (18 September 1960 – 22 October 2009) was professor of modern European history at the University of Reading. Early life Nicholas James Atkin was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, on 18 September 1960.< ...

) * ''The Wiley-Blackwell dictionary of modern European history since 1789''. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. (Edited with Nicholas Atkin and

Frank Tallett Frank Talent (''né'' Tallett; 1936 – September 8, 2011) was a former political figure and journalist in the Philadelphia area, best known for his time as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission representative who oversaw boxing and professiona ...

)

References

Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Academics of the University of Cambridge 1942 births British historians Historians of fascism Academics of the University of Reading Living people {{UK-historian-stub