Talk:R. F. Foster (historian)

Noted Revisionist
I just happened to stumble upon Foster in an article where he is mentioned repeatedly as a noted revisionist. I'm new to Wikipedia, so I'm not sure how to add the link properly, but here it is in case anyone would like to do so while I learn the ropes: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=15&sid=9da2cfa2-a1f8-4946-8df5-886b7ecc889b%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=rch&AN=9205181079#db=rch&AN=9205181079

As a note, if you open the PDF, it's on pages 27 and 28 that he's mentioned. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kto-chto (talk • contribs) 07:18, 30 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Foster grew up Protestant during the Troubles, and is a self-acknowledged revisionist. As noted in the Guardian article of 2003: " ... Foster was one of the generation of Irish historians (whose) work became known as "revisionism"and was mocked by their enemies ... " He is, indeed, a leading Oxford Historian, and his biases against the nationalist Catholic Irish are a matter of record. from the same article: " ... Terry Eagleton wrote (Foster) tends to believe that partisanship, like halitosis, is what the other fellow has." ... " If an historian has a relevant bias, that should be included. TreacherousWays (talk) 16:31, 7 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Foster, in fact, wrote an article entitled, "We Are All Revisionists Now" which can be seen here (links to pay site). TreacherousWays (talk) 16:50, 7 April 2017 (UTC)
 * I am late here but, for the record, what a ridiculous argument. If there are 'biases' against the nationalist community it is probably because "nationalism" is a political agenda and politics and history don't mix (the same can be said of the Unionists, who similarly manipulate the historical record). And it isn't entirely clear if Foster would self-style himself a "revisionist these days, as the debate between revisionists and postcolonialists is rather old news in Irish historiography; the field has moved well beyond this polarization. This is why has produced an essay that is decades old.
 * And note -when Foster was a 'revisionist' revisionism was the dominant view of historians in the Irish Academy. Almost all of the postcolonialists were coming out of the field of literary criticism and few had any historical training. Jonathan f1 (talk) 20:20, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

Rv by Domer
There are a number of books which deal with revisionism in Irish History. I have selected three, and have included them in a new section titled Additional Reading. There are both writers and professors of history who are highly critical of Roy Foster. One of the foremost critics of revisionists is Professor Brendan Bradshaw, Cambridge Historian. At an historical conference held in New York, in 1995, Professor Bradshaw, outlined what he thought of Roy Foster and others who abuse their position. (Envoy, Taking Leave of Roy Foster, reviews of his made up Irish Story, Aubane Historical Society, June 2006, ISBN 1 903497280) For a balanced view these books should be included on this page. --Domer48 20:12, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

I cannot for the life of me imagine how including references to carping eccentrics and amateurs with nationalist tunnel vision makes for "balance" when discussing a leading Oxford historian... 146.50.250.161 12:16, 24 August 2007 (UTC)JL (Amsterdam).

And I cannot for the life of me imagine how a man who gives a mere four lines to one Oliver Cromwell in a 400 plus page history of Modern Ireland can be viewed as anything other than an apologist for the British colonial community in Ireland. Contrast that with the pages he gives to Wentworth's 'Rule of Thorough' for instance. He places the emphasis precisely where it minimises British colonialism. His goal is always to normalise that British occupation in Ireland rather than treat it as the exceptional event which it has been. And of course the fact that his own family were prominent leaders and supporters of that apartheid system in the eighteenth century has absolutely everything to do with Roy Foster, the historian. Foster is, above all else, a great defender of his own tribe. 213.202.133.154 21:28, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

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External links modified (January 2018)
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