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 32
... whole generation ? It would of course be going too far to draw a parallel between postmodernism and and fascist ideology . The real conclusion to be drawn from this example is surely that arguments and theories , however dominant in the ...
... whole generation ? It would of course be going too far to draw a parallel between postmodernism and and fascist ideology . The real conclusion to be drawn from this example is surely that arguments and theories , however dominant in the ...
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... whole new areas of knowledge even about the most distant periods in time . From early on in the twentieth century , too , historians began to look away from the narrow confines of the history and antecedents of the nation - state ...
... whole new areas of knowledge even about the most distant periods in time . From early on in the twentieth century , too , historians began to look away from the narrow confines of the history and antecedents of the nation - state ...
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... whole past of mankind ' , said Trevelyan , had become so successful that it now threatened ' the complete annihilation of the few remaining individuals ' who still thought history was an art . If history was merely a ' chronicle of bare ...
... whole past of mankind ' , said Trevelyan , had become so successful that it now threatened ' the complete annihilation of the few remaining individuals ' who still thought history was an art . If history was merely a ' chronicle of bare ...
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... whole , a great age of historical scholarship . Economic dislocation in Europe and America meant that historians ' income declined , relatively few new historians were trained , and in the many European countries - the majority , in ...
... whole , a great age of historical scholarship . Economic dislocation in Europe and America meant that historians ' income declined , relatively few new historians were trained , and in the many European countries - the majority , in ...
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... whole range of subjects , including not only Naturwissenschaft but also Sozialwissenschaft , Geschichtswissenschaft and Literaturwissenschaft . The mere attempt to translate these terms into English indicates the problem : ' natural ...
... whole range of subjects , including not only Naturwissenschaft but also Sozialwissenschaft , Geschichtswissenschaft and Literaturwissenschaft . The mere attempt to translate these terms into English indicates the problem : ' natural ...
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