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 19
... knowledge, truth and objectivity, and to the colleagues in the History Department who encouraged me to turn my rough ideas on history and its current predicament into a book. During the many rewritings and reworkings of the text since ...
... knowledge, truth and objectivity, and to the colleagues in the History Department who encouraged me to turn my rough ideas on history and its current predicament into a book. During the many rewritings and reworkings of the text since ...
Page 21
... Society and the Individual 7 Knowledge and Power 8 Objectivity and its Limits Afterword Notes Further Reading Index About the Author Also by Richard J. Evans Copyright INTRODUCTION I This book is about how we study history,
... Society and the Individual 7 Knowledge and Power 8 Objectivity and its Limits Afterword Notes Further Reading Index About the Author Also by Richard J. Evans Copyright INTRODUCTION I This book is about how we study history,
Page 24
... knowledge , historians at the end of the twentieth century are haunted by a sense of gloom . The intellectual historian David Harlan , writing in 1989 , for example , thought that historical studies were undergoing ' an extended ...
... knowledge , historians at the end of the twentieth century are haunted by a sense of gloom . The intellectual historian David Harlan , writing in 1989 , for example , thought that historical studies were undergoing ' an extended ...
Page 28
... knowledge, the elusive and relative nature of truth, the difficulties involved in distinguishing between fact and fiction – do not merely challenge historians to re-examine the theory and practice of their own discipline, they also have ...
... knowledge, the elusive and relative nature of truth, the difficulties involved in distinguishing between fact and fiction – do not merely challenge historians to re-examine the theory and practice of their own discipline, they also have ...
Page 29
... knowledge about the past . Many of the problems involved in finding out about contemporary society and politics are very similar to those historians have to face . Yet the past presents more difficulties because it is no longer with us ...
... knowledge about the past . Many of the problems involved in finding out about contemporary society and politics are very similar to those historians have to face . Yet the past presents more difficulties because it is no longer with us ...
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