Not the worst of it's kind but there were parts that just dragged.

This is a selection of essays about the invention of tradition, largely in the 19th Century.

Starts with an introduction by Eric Hobsbawm which is pretty dry. The enthusiasm that Hugh Trevor-Roper has for his topic of Highland Tradition of Scotland made things quite readable. Prys Morgan's view of the Welsh is good but drier, David Cannadine's look at the crowning of the royals in England was quite timely for me, as I just visited London and they both complimented each other. The last three were quite dry and I almost didn't finish reading them, still there were interesting in their own ways.

Bernard S Cohn writes about the invention of tradition in colonial India to keep authority and Terence Ranger's piece on Africa are interesting studies in slightly contrasting and slightly differing methods of work. The last by Eric Hobsbawm touches on how the era produced so many traditions and how many of these have persisted to this day.

It's not a bad book but it isn't quite as populist as I really wanted from the topic. Still if it's something you're studying it's probably quite a good read. ( )

All traditions were new once upon a time. This book shows us that some of them are younger than we believe. It also shows us why we invent tradtions. Sometimes the reason is political, and sometimes we need these traditions to define our own identity as a member of a group.

Overall a good book, but some essays are more interesting than others. And some essays have very interesting topics but lack in detail or style. I liked the ones about Scottish tradition and the ceremonies of the English monarchy best. ( )

some of its chapters, especially those by Hobsbawm and Ranger, are gems. A necessary demystification of the tradition thing, now almost mainstream in progressive academia ( )

How immemorial traditions turn out to be quire recent (often Victorian and Edwardian) inventions.

I didn't read all of this book but I want to talk about it because the part I did read was so interesting: the essay by Sir Hugh Trevor Roper (he comes up later in a huge scandal having to do with the Hitler diaries) about Highland tradition. Apparently the kilt was actually invented by and Englishman! And the different clan tartans were based on a hoax and made popular by tartan weavers who were interested in profit. And the bagpipe is not really a Scottish instrument at all. When I was at the Scottish games and gatherings I quoted half of the points of this essay to Jenn, and she quoted the other half back to me, so we must have read the same thing. It's easy to feel deceived, because these things are meant to go back to the days of Braveheart or before, but really who cares. These traditions are fun and pretty. The Invention of Tradition is meant to be ironic, but really if you think about it all traditions are invented (because everything's invented! How postmodern). Really, though, they must come about somehow. Just because I decide I'm going to do something every year and then I do it doesn't make it not a tradition. And I'm still going to get married in a Scottish castle and have kilts and bagpipes. I'll read the read of these essays this summer. ( )