In Defence of History“A lucid, muscular, and often sly reflection” on the worth and purpose of historical scholarship by the award-winning author of The Third Reich Trilogy (Kirkus). In this volume, the renowned historian Richard J. Evans offers a fervent and deeply insightful defense of his craft and its importance to civilization. At a time when fact and historical truth are under unprecedented assault, Evans shows us why history is necessary. Taking us into the historians’ workshop, he offers a firsthand look at how good history gets written. In staunch opposition to the wilder claims of postmodern historians, Evans thoroughly dismantles the notion that a realistic grasp of history is impossible to attain. He then goes on to explain the deadly political dangers of losing a historical perspective on the way we live our lives. In the tradition of E.H. Carr’s What Is History? and G.R. Elton’s The Practice of History, Evans’ In Defense of History delivers “a model of lucid and intelligent historiographical analysis” (The Guardian, UK). |
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Page 29
... Oxford specialist on French history Theodore Zeldin has observed , ' ... are probably no more reliable as guides to their own work than politicians are to their policies . " 32 Or , to use the analogy preferred by his former colleague ...
... Oxford specialist on French history Theodore Zeldin has observed , ' ... are probably no more reliable as guides to their own work than politicians are to their policies . " 32 Or , to use the analogy preferred by his former colleague ...
Page 30
... Oxford History of Roman Britain and a celebrated philosophical treatise on The Idea of History. But there is no indication at all that the two books stood in any relation to one another; they might have been written by two different ...
... Oxford History of Roman Britain and a celebrated philosophical treatise on The Idea of History. But there is no indication at all that the two books stood in any relation to one another; they might have been written by two different ...
Page 32
... Oxford , that proverbial home of lost causes , let me refer to a case of an intellectual trend that swept all before it slightly further afield . In the 1920s and 1930s , German historians overwhelmingly believed in the primacy of ...
... Oxford , that proverbial home of lost causes , let me refer to a case of an intellectual trend that swept all before it slightly further afield . In the 1920s and 1930s , German historians overwhelmingly believed in the primacy of ...
Page 34
... ( Oxford , 1991 ) . 6 David Harlan , ' Intellectual History and the Return of Literature ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 581-609 , here p . 581 . 7 Joyce Appleby , Lynn Hunt and Margaret Jacob , Telling the Truth ...
... ( Oxford , 1991 ) . 6 David Harlan , ' Intellectual History and the Return of Literature ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 581-609 , here p . 581 . 7 Joyce Appleby , Lynn Hunt and Margaret Jacob , Telling the Truth ...
Page
... (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (3rd edn., Oxford, 1979), p. 184). 2 Fritz Stern ( ed . ) , The Varieties.
... (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (3rd edn., Oxford, 1979), p. 184). 2 Fritz Stern ( ed . ) , The Varieties.
Contents
22 | |
Society and the Individual | |
Objectivity and its Limits | |
Afterword | |
Further Reading | |
Index | |
About the Author | |
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Abraham academic American Historical Review Appleby approach argued argument Arthur Marwick belief Britain British Cambridge Carr's century claim concept contemporary critics critique cultural David debate Defence of History Derrida discipline discourse documents E. H. Carr E. P. Thompson Easthope economic history England Evans evidence example fact Frank Ankersmit French G. M. Trevelyan Geoffrey Elton German Hayden White historians historical knowledge historical profession historical scholarship historical writing Historiography History and Post-Modernism History London Holocaust Holocaust denial Hugh Trevor-Roper Hunt and Jacob ibid ideas ideology Intellectual History Intelligent Person's Guide interpretation J. H. Hexter Keith Jenkins kind LaCapra language Lawrence Stone linguistic turn literary Marxist meaning modern moral Namier narrative Noble Dream Novick objectivity Oxford past Patrick Joyce political postmodernism postmodernist present Purkiss quoted reality Revolution scientific sense Social History social sciences society sources thought Trevelyan Vincent written Zeldin