Vistas of History

In 1963, Samuel Eliot Morison, long one of our most distinguished historians, was awarded the first Balzan Prize in History, a prize that rivals the Nobel Prize in splendor and munificence. To receive the award, Admiral Morison had to go to Rome, where he delivered an address, “The Experiences and Principles of an Historian.” This book includes the address he gave, as well a fascinating account of the award ceremonies, of which he was a central figure.

Morison also draws from his own publish...