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 16
... practice of history in a manner that is blessedly free of jargon , making the book of interest to a wide readership ' Steve Smith , Times Higher Education Supplement ' Richard Evans gave me much pleasure from the beginning , including ...
... practice of history in a manner that is blessedly free of jargon , making the book of interest to a wide readership ' Steve Smith , Times Higher Education Supplement ' Richard Evans gave me much pleasure from the beginning , including ...
Page 22
... Practice of History, published in 1967. Elton's book mounts a trenchant defence of the belief that history is a search for the objective truth about the past. It concludes optimistically that historians' efforts in this enterprise more ...
... Practice of History, published in 1967. Elton's book mounts a trenchant defence of the belief that history is a search for the objective truth about the past. It concludes optimistically that historians' efforts in this enterprise more ...
Page 23
... practice this has long ceased to be the case. Few historians would now defend the hard-line concept of historical objectivity espoused by Elton. The prevalence of historical controversy, endemic in the profession for decades, has long ...
... practice this has long ceased to be the case. Few historians would now defend the hard-line concept of historical objectivity espoused by Elton. The prevalence of historical controversy, endemic in the profession for decades, has long ...
Page 25
... practice because academics have had nothing to gain and everything to lose by dismantling their special visible code of evidence - grounded reasoning and opening themselves to the inevitable charges of fraud , dishonesty and shoddiness ...
... practice because academics have had nothing to gain and everything to lose by dismantling their special visible code of evidence - grounded reasoning and opening themselves to the inevitable charges of fraud , dishonesty and shoddiness ...
Page 28
... practice of their own discipline, they also have wider implications that go far beyond the boundaries of academic and university life. In this sense, the problem of how historians approach the acquisition of knowledge about the past ...
... practice of their own discipline, they also have wider implications that go far beyond the boundaries of academic and university life. In this sense, the problem of how historians approach the acquisition of knowledge about the past ...
Contents
22 | |
Society and the Individual | |
Objectivity and its Limits | |
Afterword | |
Further Reading | |
Index | |
About the Author | |
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Common terms and phrases
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