One of the most distinguished and best-known historians in the West today, Natalie Zemon Davis brings an understanding of history closer to our hearts. Her productivity and her energy are remarkable. A leading authority on Europe in the 16th century, she has inspired students in the United States, Britain, and Canada and has published more than 100 books and articles.
Ms. Davis’ warmth and depth of understanding and her ability to con- vey her feelings to an ever- growing audience stem from her own experience with history-ranging from ancestral roots in Poland and Russia and her principled moral stance during the McCarthy era. She continues to defend those who cannot speak for themselves.
Professor Davis has focused much of her work on the interpretation of socio-economic conflict. As an early analyst of globalization, she has vividly interpreted the effects of capitalism and the “market” ways of urban society. Her most popular work-The Return of Martin Guerre (the story of a highly visible French identity dispute of 1560)-is a moving study of human relations told in book, film, and opera forms.
In troubled times, Ms. Davis encourages all with her view of “the past as a source of hope.” We are pleased and honored to award the 2003 Cosmos Club Award to Natalie Zemon Davis.
