Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of HistorySilencing the Past is a thought-provoking analysis of historical narrative. Taking examples ranging from the Haitian Revolution to Columbus Day, Michel-Rolph Trouillot demonstrates how power operates, often invisibly, at all stages in the making of history to silence certain voices. "Makes the postmodernist debate come alive." --Choice "Trouillot, a widely respected scholar of Haitian history . . . is a first-rate scholar with provocative ideas . . . Serious students of history should find his work a feast for the mind." --Jay Freedman, Booklist "Elegantly written and richly allusive, . . . Silencing the Past is an important contribution to the anthropology of history. Its most lasting impression is made perhaps by Trouillot's own voice--endlessly agile, sometimes cuttingly funny, but always evocative in a direct and powerful, almost poetic way." --Donald L. Donham, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute "A sparkling interrogation of the past. . . . A beautifully written, superior book." --Foreign Affairs "Silencing the Past is a polished personal essay on the meanings of history. . . . [It] is filled with wisdom and humanity." --Bernard Mergen, American Studies International "An eloquent book." --Choice "Written with clarity, wit, and style throughout, this book is for everyone interested in historical culture." --Civilization "A beautifully written book, exciting in its challenges." --Eric R. Wolf "Aphoristic and witty, . . . a hard-nosed look at the soft edges of public discourse about the past." --Arjun Appadurai |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Beartracker - LibraryThingHistory may be written by the winners, but it is also written by those in power. Often, they are one and the same. So, who is to say what becomes “history” and what does not? Who controls what is ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dangnad - LibraryThingThis book starts out with an interesting notion: There are two aspects of history (1) the sociohistorical process, that is, "what happened" and (2) the historical narrative, that is, "that which is ... Read full review
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academic acknowledge actors American archives became become Caribbean celebrations century Chicago Christophe Christophe's claim colonial Columbus context continuous cultural death debate discourse discovery early equally Europe European evidence existence facts fair forces France French Further Haiti Haitian Revolution happened Henry historians human important independence Indians individuals issue Italy knowledge landing later Latin leaders least less limited living mass matter means memory mention narrative narrator nature North noted October palace Paris past philosophical political positions possible practice present production question reasons remains resistance revolutionary rules Saint-Domingue Sans Souci sides significance silences slavery slaves Souci sources Spain Spanish started story suggests tion took Trouillot turn United University Press unthinkable various wanted West Western writing York