Volume 33 - Number 1 - Winter 2026
Pages: 1 - 129

BOOK REVIEWS

Rozentsvit, I. (2026). Relational roots of history: Fairbairn’s object relations theory for psychohistorians [Review of the book Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction by David P. Celani (2025)]. Clio’s Psyche, 33(1), 125-128.

https://doi.org/10.70763/9c4e6233c6d5ff637e7984152a3531d5

Relational Roots of History: Fairbairn’s Object Relations Theory for Psychohistorians

book review

Abstract

David P. Celani’s Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction reintroduces the Scottish object‑relations pioneer to psychohistorians. By weaving Fairbairn’s biography with an accessible exposition of his relational model, Celani shows how early relationships, trauma, and developmental arrest shape personality and offers a framework for exploring individual and collective motives in history.

Keywords:

book review, David P. Celani, developmental arrest, dissociation, identity defense, mindfulness, moral defense, object relations, psychoanalysis, psychohistory, psychological defenses, Ronald Fairbairn, Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction, trauma

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About the author

Inna Rozentsvit

Inna Rozentsvit, MD, PhD, MBA, MSciEd, is a neurologist and neurorehabilitation specialist trained in psychoanalysis. She serves as Associate Editor of Clio’s Psyche and Associate Director of the Psychohistory Forum. Dr. Rozentsvit is founder and neuropsychoeducator at the non-profit NeurorecoverySolutions, Inc., Programs Director at the Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, and Editor-in-Chief of the ORI Academic Press, MindMend Publishing Co., and MindConsiliums, the interdisciplinary journal. She may be contacted at or www.innarozentsvit.com.

How to cite this article

Rozentsvit, I. (2026). Relational roots of history: Fairbairn’s object relations theory for psychohistorians [Review of the book Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction by David P. Celani (2025)]. Clio’s Psyche, 33(1), 125-128.

https://doi.org/10.70763/9c4e6233c6d5ff637e7984152a3531d5