Colin McEvedy
Encyclopedia
Colin Peter McEvedy was a British psychiatrist, historian, demographer and non-fiction author. He was born in Salford, Lancashire
and died in London
.
McEvedy's profession was psychiatry, in which he had a distinguished career. He became perhaps better known, though, as a historian and demographer, and certainly so by the public at large. Between 1961 and 2002 he produced a number of historical atlases which, unlike most such atlases, feature fixed base-maps; in most cases, each atlas uses a single principal base-map, which is shown repeatedly, at many dates, as the atlas goes along, thus illustrating changes over the ages, from ancient down to modern
, within the chosen area. The accompanying text, typically, is mostly a running commentary on what the maps of a given atlas show. Another feature of the atlases is McEvedy's witty and engaging writing-style, which he used on occasion to challenge established opinions among historians and demographers. Although he was not, strictly speaking, a professional in those fields, he became professionally respected in them, with his views making their way into standard textbooks.
Mcevedy had two daughters. His eldest, Flora Mcevedy, is the author of the Step-Parent's Parachute, published by Piatkus Books in 2009.. His younger daughter Allegra McEvedy
is a noted chef, co-founder of the Leon chain of restaurants, and appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
The Atlas of World History (with Sarah McEvedy)
Unpublished Volumes:
Other Books
Articles
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
McEvedy's profession was psychiatry, in which he had a distinguished career. He became perhaps better known, though, as a historian and demographer, and certainly so by the public at large. Between 1961 and 2002 he produced a number of historical atlases which, unlike most such atlases, feature fixed base-maps; in most cases, each atlas uses a single principal base-map, which is shown repeatedly, at many dates, as the atlas goes along, thus illustrating changes over the ages, from ancient down to modern
Modern history
Modern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeline after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period after the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution...
, within the chosen area. The accompanying text, typically, is mostly a running commentary on what the maps of a given atlas show. Another feature of the atlases is McEvedy's witty and engaging writing-style, which he used on occasion to challenge established opinions among historians and demographers. Although he was not, strictly speaking, a professional in those fields, he became professionally respected in them, with his views making their way into standard textbooks.
Mcevedy had two daughters. His eldest, Flora Mcevedy, is the author of the Step-Parent's Parachute, published by Piatkus Books in 2009.. His younger daughter Allegra McEvedy
Allegra McEvedy
Allegra Sarah Bazzett McEvedy MBE is an English chef, broadcaster and writer.-Biography:Born and raised in Hammersmith, her father Colin McEvedy was a consultant psychiatrist, historian and writer; her mother a writer. Privately educated at St Paul's Girls' School, she went to school with Observer...
is a noted chef, co-founder of the Leon chain of restaurants, and appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Publications
Penguin Historical Atlases- The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History (1961) ISBN 0-14-070822-7
- Revised as: The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History (1992) ISBN 0-14-051249-7
- The Penguin Atlas of Ancient History (1967) ISBN 0-14-051151-2
- Revised as: The New Penguin Atlas of Ancient History (2002) ISBN 0-14-051348-5
- The Penguin Atlas of Modern History (1972) ISBN 0-14-051153-9
- The Penguin Atlas of Recent History (1982) ISBN 0-14-051154-7
- Revised as: The New Penguin Atlas of Recent History (2002) ISBN 0-14-051504-6
- The Penguin Atlas of North American History (1988) ISBN 0-14-051128-8
- The Penguin Atlas of African History (1980, 2nd ed. 1995) ISBN 0-14-051321-3
- The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Pacific (1998) ISBN 0-14-025428-5
The Atlas of World History (with Sarah McEvedy)
- From the Beginning to Alexander the Great (1970) ISBN 0-298-79125-0
- The Classical World (1973) ISBN 0-298-79126-9
- The Dark Ages (1972) ISBN 0-298-79127-7
Unpublished Volumes:
- The Medieval World
- The European Expansion
- Revolutions
- Colonial Empires
- The Modern Age
Other Books
- The Atlas of World Population History (with Richard Jones) (1978) ISBN 0-14-051076-1
- Rise of the World's Cities (1984) ISBN 0-87196-773-1
- World History Factfinder (1984) ISBN 0-02-583190-9
Articles
- "The Bubonic Plague" Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
February 1988