Across the literary pages: The history boys

Several usually eloquent pens spat venom last weekend. The spat between Niall Ferguson and Pankaj Mishra and the London Review of Books has escalated. You might recall that Ferguson and Mishra trading insults over the latter’s review of the former’s book Civilisation; their acrimony has been underscored by references to racism. Mishra has since said that Ferguson is not a racist; but the matter remains unresolved. Ferguson has had another letter of complaint published in the latest issue of the LRB. He opens by saying that Mishra is ‘in full and ignominious retreat’ and ends by writing, ‘I am still waiting for an apology, from both Pankaj Mishra and the editor who published his defamatory article.’ The Guardian also quotes Ferguson saying, “If he won’t apologise for calling me a racist, I will persecute him until he does.” The spectre of legal action looms.

This set-to is reminiscent of the mutual contempt between Hugh Trevor-Roper and A.J.P.