Kevin Sharpe (historian) facts for kids

Kevin M. Sharpe (born January 26, 1949 – died November 5, 2011) was a British historian. He was a very important professor who studied history, especially the time of the Renaissance. This was a period of great change in Europe. He taught at Queen Mary, University of London. Kevin Sharpe was famous for his research about Charles I of England, who was a king.

Kevin Sharpe's Life and Work

Kevin Sharpe went to St Catherine's College, Oxford for his university studies. He continued his learning there after his first degree. From 1974 to 1978, he was a special researcher at Oriel College, Oxford.

He also taught at many other famous universities. These included Princeton, Stanford, and the California Institute of Technology. He also taught at the Australian National University.

Later, he became a lecturer at the University of Southampton. In 1994, he became a full professor there. He then worked at the University of Warwick starting in 2001. From 2005, he taught at Queen Mary University of London.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Kevin Sharpe became a leading historian. He was part of a group called "revisionists." These historians looked at past events in new ways. They questioned older ideas about history.

Sharpe and others studied the English Revolution. This was a time of big changes in England. Old historians often said England was very divided before the revolution. They called this the "Whiggish" view.

Kevin Sharpe suggested a different idea. He believed England was not as divided as people thought. He looked closely at the 1620s, the time of King Charles I. He showed that people were not always fighting.

He also thought that art and literature were important. These could help us understand politics from long ago. He believed they showed how people thought and felt.

Awards and Recognitions

Kevin Sharpe received many important awards for his work. These showed how much his research was valued.

• He became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 1979. This means he was a respected member of this history group.
• He also became a Fellow of the English Association in 2002. This group focuses on English language and literature.
• In 1987, he won the Whitfield Prize. This award was from the Royal Historical Society. He won it for his book, Criticism and Compliment: The Politics of Literature in the England of Charles I.
• He was also a special research professor at the Huntington Library.
• He was a Mellon professor at the California Institute of Technology.