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
Results 1-5 of 65
Page 22
... questions afresh. Of course, there have been many attempts to tackle them in the past. But whatever the intellectual climate, they need to be confronted by every new generation of historians in turn. Currently the field is held by two ...
... questions afresh. Of course, there have been many attempts to tackle them in the past. But whatever the intellectual climate, they need to be confronted by every new generation of historians in turn. Currently the field is held by two ...
Page 23
... question most of the arguments put forward by both of them.5 Instead of causes, which Carr regarded as central to historical scholarship, the 'linguistic turn' has given us discourses. And history is widely argued to be only one ...
... question most of the arguments put forward by both of them.5 Instead of causes, which Carr regarded as central to historical scholarship, the 'linguistic turn' has given us discourses. And history is widely argued to be only one ...
Page 24
... question is now not so much ' What is History ? ' , as ' Is It Possible to Do History at All ? ' In place of the optimistic belief in the progress of the discipline held by both Carr , who saw it in the expansion of historical ...
... question is now not so much ' What is History ? ' , as ' Is It Possible to Do History at All ? ' In place of the optimistic belief in the progress of the discipline held by both Carr , who saw it in the expansion of historical ...
Page 28
... questions they raise – about the possibility or impossibility of attaining objective knowledge, the elusive and relative nature of truth, the difficulties involved in distinguishing between fact and fiction – do not merely challenge ...
... questions they raise – about the possibility or impossibility of attaining objective knowledge, the elusive and relative nature of truth, the difficulties involved in distinguishing between fact and fiction – do not merely challenge ...
Page 29
... questions by looking at how we acquire 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 ...
... questions by looking at how we acquire 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 ...
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