Peter Burke (historian)

Peter Burke (born 16 August 1937) is a British historian specializing in European cultural history, particularly of the early modern period. He is renowned for his contributions to social history, cultural history, and microhistory, as well as his work on the history of knowledge.

Burke was educated at St John's College, Oxford. He held academic positions at the University of Sussex and the University of Cambridge, where he was Professor of Cultural History until his retirement. He has also been a visiting professor at numerous universities around the world.

His scholarship is characterized by its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from sociology, anthropology, and literary studies. He has written extensively on topics such as popular culture, the history of reading, the social history of art, and the impact of print culture.

Key Works:

• The Renaissance (1964) – A widely translated and influential overview of the Italian Renaissance.
• Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe (1978) – A groundbreaking study of the cultural practices of ordinary people in early modern Europe.
• Sociology and History (1980) – An exploration of the relationship between sociological and historical methods.
• The Fabrication of Louis XIV (1992) – A study of the construction of the public image of Louis XIV of France.
• What is Cultural History? (2004) – A survey of the field of cultural history and its development.
• A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot (2000) - Explores the social dimensions of knowledge production and dissemination.
• Cultural Hybridity (2009) - Examines the phenomenon of cultural mixing and its historical manifestations.

Burke's work has been translated into numerous languages and has had a significant impact on the development of historical studies worldwide. He is considered a leading figure in the field of cultural history. His accessible writing style has made his work popular with both academic and general audiences.