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). |
From inside the book
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Page 23
... narrative of political events. Those which lacked such a spine, he dismissed as not really being proper history at all. And while Carr enjoined his readers to study the historian before they studied his 'facts', Elton told his audience ...
... narrative of political events. Those which lacked such a spine, he dismissed as not really being proper history at all. And while Carr enjoined his readers to study the historian before they studied his 'facts', Elton told his audience ...
Page 34
... Narrative in Historiography ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 627-53 , here p . 631 . 13 Nancy F. Partner , ' Historicity in an Age of Reality - Fictions ' , in Frank Ankersmit and Hans Kellner ( eds . ) , A New ...
... Narrative in Historiography ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 627-53 , here p . 631 . 13 Nancy F. Partner , ' Historicity in an Age of Reality - Fictions ' , in Frank Ankersmit and Hans Kellner ( eds . ) , A New ...
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... narrative' in history. Had Kennedy stopped here, his book would not have attracted the attention it did, and would not have sold so many copies. But it would also have been better history. As soon as he turned his generalizations into ...
... narrative' in history. Had Kennedy stopped here, his book would not have attracted the attention it did, and would not have sold so many copies. But it would also have been better history. As soon as he turned his generalizations into ...
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... Narrative in Historiography ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 627–53 , here p . 633. The German philosopher Wilhelm Windelband's distinction between ' nomothetic ' sciences concerned with general laws and ...
... Narrative in Historiography ' , American Historical Review , Vol . 94 ( 1989 ) , pp . 627–53 , here p . 633. The German philosopher Wilhelm Windelband's distinction between ' nomothetic ' sciences concerned with general laws and ...
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... narratives rest on fact , ' two of her colleagues have confidently asserted , ' can be , indeed has been , dismantled . " 11 This is not least because documents , as Dominick LaCapra has remarked , ' are texts that supplement or rework ...
... narratives rest on fact , ' two of her colleagues have confidently asserted , ' can be , indeed has been , dismantled . " 11 This is not least because documents , as Dominick LaCapra has remarked , ' are texts that supplement or rework ...
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