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 17
... truth ' Kevin Sharpe , Sunday Times ' Excellent reporting on the news , the views and the hues and cries that postmodernism has occasioned ' Times Literary Supplement Reconsiderations ' , History and Theory , Vol . 29.
... truth ' Kevin Sharpe , Sunday Times ' Excellent reporting on the news , the views and the hues and cries that postmodernism has occasioned ' Times Literary Supplement Reconsiderations ' , History and Theory , Vol . 29.
Page 19
... 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 then I have ...
... 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 then I have ...
Page 22
... 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 often than not meet with success. Elton, too, Introduction.
... 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 often than not meet with success. Elton, too, Introduction.
Page 23
... truth, and to leave historians and their motives to themselves. While Elton and Carr are both still very much worth reading, there is, however, something rather strange about two books written more than thirty years ago still serving as ...
... truth, and to leave historians and their motives to themselves. While Elton and Carr are both still very much worth reading, there is, however, something rather strange about two books written more than thirty years ago still serving as ...
Page 24
... truth or objectivity - both concepts defended , in different ways , by Carr as well as Elton . The 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 ...
... truth or objectivity - both concepts defended , in different ways , by Carr as well as Elton . The 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 ...
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