Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Reference    6. History / Historiography   

Reviews (18)

A disappointment
This is intended to be a popular book without pretentions to scholarship.While there is a need for an overview of the field and this book is informative, it is also in many ways an appalling book.
Cantor's Inventions
When I received this book for Christmas, I was excited. As I read the book, my excitement palled and has become dismay. I find it, though somewhat informative--at least the names of prominent medievalists are given--generally a venomous reflection on those with whom Cantor did not agree. His ascription of venal motives to a number of historians, particularly the Annales school, is not an objective assessment of their contributions tohistoriography. Were this book billed as a personal polemic, it would be correctly labeled. One may gain some insight into the construction of Medieval history, but if one lacks any prior introduction to the subject, this is NOT the book for them

Entertaining
Sure, it's filled with gossip and provocative (and sometimes glib) generalities.That's what makes it such a pleasure to read.It's a little like getting invited to have a couple of beers with your indiscreet, cantankerous, opinionated but lovable dissertation advisor, after passing your qualifying exams.Please, kiddo, call me Norm.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Europe - General    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Literary Criticism    7. Medieval    8. Middle Ages    9. History / Medieval   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (8)

A must read
For any of you interested in History of Science and its impact on society, this is a must read.
Necessary but Inefficient
Professor Crosby has done a well written work on history of quantification and western society, but it's quite flawed on substance. An overview of the shaping of a technological world.
Crosby does a fantastic job covering a vast change in the overall society changes from 1250-1600. For the amount of vast knowledge packed in you'd think the book would be 3,000 pages. He brings us an interesting approachto the actual birth and uprise of modern techonology, arts and literatureas we know it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1492-1648    2. 476-1492    3. Civilization, Medieval    4. Europe    5. Europe - General    6. Historiography    7. Historiometry    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    11. History: World    12. Methodology    13. Renaissance    14. Western Europe - General    15. Europe--History--476-1492    16. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    17. History / Europe / General    18. Scientific standards    19. Western Continental Europe    20. c 1000 CE to c 1500    21. c 1500 to c 1600   

Reviews (2)

A Provocative look at Nationialism and History

History of China in a Modern Age
This book is highly theoretical and inspiring work in modernChinesehistory studies. I read this book with great pleasure and comfort. No doubtProfessor Duara is both a wonderful historian and narrator of conflictingforces inside the Baboon Curtain. As an Indian-born historian, he made veryinterestingcomparation between Indian and Chinese history. As we allknow, most historian were hired by the government( in Duara's word "nation-state"), so in their works, China is supposed to be enjoying amonolithic power in the middle of world. But withthe method of Duara, wesee more distinctive accounts of theso called colonial age in ancientChinese History. One of most important argument which Duara made in hisbook is that Enlightment historian suppose ancient China based on ahomogenous community that corresponds to the instrumental ideology of themodern state. He pointed out there are some basic difference in ModernChina and ancient Chinese traditionsRead more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Asian / Middle Eastern history    6. China    7. Historiography    8. History / China    9. India    10. Nationalism    11. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (1)

Precious Material
A chronicle of the highest calibre, documenting the Persian -Byzantine wars in the East, as well as providing the earliest recorded information on Muhammid and the early rise of Islam.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Ancient World History    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Middle East - General    8. Ancient World    9. Armenia    10. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    11. European history: c 500 to c 1500    12. History / Historiography    13. Islamic studies    14. Other prose: classical, early & medieval    15. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Reviews (4)

Race & Class In Civil War America
This is a fine, insightful study of the New York "Draft" Riots, which were about far more than military conscription.It does have some problems of organization and repetition, as others note.Overly harsh critics probably assume that this is a conventional, event-oriented tale of the riots themselves, but Bernstein's forte is analysis rather than narrative. He explains their context, causes and importance for understanding urban tensions in an era of intense stuggles over freedom, industrialization, work, wages, immigration, assimilation and exclusion.He tells the story well enough (though a coherent chronology is hard to locate), focusing on what it reveals about a period of fundamental change in US history.See also T. Anbinder, "Five Points;" N. Ignatiev, "How the Irish Became White;" and the hoary tome by H. Asbury, "Gangs of New York."

Unbelievably Boring
If you want to read about the New York City draft riots, do not read this book.As other reviewers have stated the book draggs on and is rediculously repetitive.In addition, the wording of the book makes for a very boring read, and becomes quite confusing at times. Editor? Hello, Editor?
If you're looking for descriptive battle sequences of the three-day riot which rocked New York City in July of 1863, this is NOT the book to read. Carefully (and thankfully) avoiding the sensationalism that often accompanies discussions of these draft riots, this book was one of the first to identify and discuss the causes (political, social, economic, racial, etc.) that led up to this insurgence. And, for this, Mr. Bernstein has done a more than admirable job.Read more

Subjects:  1. African    2. Draft Riot, New York, N.Y., 1863    3. Historiography    4. History - General History    5. History: American    6. Literary Criticism    7. United States - Civil War    8. United States - State & Local - General    9. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    10. Demonstrations & protest movements    11. History / United States / 19th Century    12. History, American | Civil War & Reconstruction    13. New York   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Globalization    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Philosophy    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. American history    11. History / General    12. USA   

Reviews (16)

Not all I had hoped, but some bright spots
I was most interested in the generalship of Grant versus the actual (not glorified) generalship of Lee.I was hoping to find some confirmation of my suspicion that Lee really wasn't that great and Grant really wasn't all that bad.To some degree, the book tries to do this with a limited success.It takes Lee down a notch from his almost divine pedestal in the eyes of some.But I found it hard to find a convincing argument that Lee was anything but a great, more-then-competent general.
A Terrible Propaganda Piece
The shamelessly teleological approach to research displayed in this book is its most memorable feature. The ability of the authors to disregard 25 years worth of scholarship on Southern nationalism is only the most blatant methodological crime committed in what is without a doubt one of the worst examples of research I have ever encountered.

The War Continues
Somewhat convoluted approach to the Southern cause, but now that I have finished the book, it is not worth reading.Perhaps it is worth checking out of the public library to grasp the "Northern" view point, but overall, the book is too partisan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil War, 1861-1865    2. Confederate States of America    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: American    7. Military - General    8. United States    9. United States - Civil War    10. United States - General    11. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    12. Civil war    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. World - General    6. Historiography    7. World history   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. Great Britain - History    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Imperialism    8. World - General    9. British Empire    10. History / Great Britain    11. History, World | British    12. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    13. Other Geographical Groupings, Oceans & Seas    14. World history   

Reviews (3)

Why the non-Christian philosophies of history don't work
Well, this book is all about that, so I won't tell you why.But, if you are interested, you should read it.Unfortunately, Nash seems to waste some of his time discussing the authorship of the book of Hebrews.One wishes that he could have expounded a little more on the Christian philosophy of history.But, I think that Nash did a great job in introducing the main philosophies of history of the Western world.Note: the "cyclical," "linear," "spiral" stuff, in my opinion, is all about the "One" and the "Many" (i.e., the Trinity).You see, we need just as much of a Trinitarian philosophy of history as we do a Trinitarian epistemology, metaphysics, etc.

Good Overview
Professor Ronald Nash has written an enjoyable overview of the philosophy of history.He starts out with a discussion of "world views" from a Christian perspective.He then contrasts the Christian view of history (linear) to the typical non-Christian view, which tends to be cyclical.He then provides concise discussions of some of the principal philosophers of history: Augustine, Vico, Herder, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Spengler and Toynbee.He critiques their thought from a Christian perspective, in his case a Calvinist philosophy drawning on the thought of Gordon Clark (although, curiously, he doesn't refer the reader to Clark's principal work on the subject, Historiography: Secular and Religious). Is There Meaning to History?
This is probably the clearest Introduction to what is sometimes called the Philosophy of History.The book examines most of the important theories about the meaning of history, including Augustine, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Spengler and Toynbee.It pays special attention to the powerful influenceof the linear view of history first proposed by Jewish and Christiancontributors to the Bible. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Philosophy    7. Philosophy Of History   

Reviews (6)

Not a Mickey Mouse History, but a Donald Duck Rebuttal
Aside from a proverbial axe that Mr. Wallace is grinding (especially in the Reagan essay), the text employs a down-to-earth approach, avoiding the typical multi-syllabic lingo that is usually associated with academia.In addition, the broad purpose of his text is applaudable:the deconstruction of the myths and ideologies of history and the return to historical research and study. accesible, critical and still with a sense of humor
for someone interested in museum, spaces of exhibition and the like you will find section one and two of this book quite interesting. the first deals with different sorts of museums placing a critical point of view from communitary museums to opend air museums, to technology museums. the second part is great dealing with the forms of exhibition at disney. dystory, that special kind of reality that it is at once purified and sanitized and tha is quite part of the essence of thematized environments. parts three and four deal, respectively, with the restoraton movement in america and the politics of culture during regan's era, specially with the enola gay case.

Accessible and Thoughtful
Mike Wallace uses the kind of academic writing that all scholars should aspire to achieve--lively, free of jargon, and entertaining. His subject, as suggested by the book's title, is history and the debates that surround different depictions of history. Wallace observes, astutely, that the struggles over how to portray history reveals much about ourselves, our beliefs, and our agendas. Wallace points out that history is never neutral, a point that is well worth reinforcing.Read more

Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Historic preservation    3. Historic sites    4. Historical museums    5. Historiography    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Interpretive programs    9. Popular Culture - General    10. Social Science    11. United States    12. Cultural studies    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

Excellent synopsis of cultural history
Peter Burke is professor of Cultural History at the University of Cambridge and is certainly one of the most prominent figures in cultural history today.This volume is a selection of his essays, most of them previously published, which will certainly bring students up to date on the current practice of cultural history.There are essays on the origins of cultural history, the cultural history of dreams, chivalry in the New World, as well as an excellent discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the history of mentalities.In another essay Burke takes the cultural concept of carnival (one he previously dealt with in his excellent "Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe") and explores it in the context of Brazilian and African societies.Although five of the twelve essays focus on the author's area of specialization --Renaissance and Early Modern Italy-- there is much broader knowledge to be gained from the volume.Burke succinctly narrates the evolution of this type of history, demonstrating the relationship between historians such as Bloch, Burckhardt and Huizinga to the social anthropologists' search for collective representations (Durkheim and Lucien L�vy-Bruhl), and ending with the myriad ways in which the discipline is practiced today.Although the book is great, I do think it would have benefited from a more thorough discussion of the "new" cultural historians such as Lynn Hunt et al. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Civilization    3. Culture    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Renaissance    9. World - General   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Feminism    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Study & Teaching    9. Women    10. Women's Studies - General    11. History / Study & Teaching    12. History, Other | History of Women    13. Women's studies   

Editorial Review

"I am a storyteller by training and inclination," writes the late Stephen Ambrose in Read more

Reviews (52)

After reading this book, you'll wish Ambrose had been your history teacher!
Heard the taped version of TO AMERICA: PERSONAL
A Fond Farewell to a Beloved Nation
In this last work of one of the nation's foremost historians, Stephen Ambrose has woven a complex tapestry that includes the distinct threads of practical career guidance to budding historians, an engaging memoir of a distinguished career in American letters and compelling stories from the pageant of events that constitute our shared national experience.
Great review of the last century
What went wrong with this country during the last century?Stephen Ambrose looks at what our country went through during the last 100 years from a very secular point of view.He does an excellent job highlighting all the issues from a personal perspective."The United States and the Middle East: 1914-9/11" from The Teaching Company gives a more in depth look into the global issues involved.Both miss the spiritual issues brought up by fundamentalist Christians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. General    3. Historians    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: World    8. United States    9. United States - 20th Century    10. United States History (General)    11. Biography: general    12. History / General    13. USA   

Reviews (7)

Dismissal is not an option
Somewhat dated, perhaps. But, Mrs. Tuchman's insights in "Practicing History" are timeless in key points on the myth of objectivity and keeping the historical context of events in view.In our day, history seems dependent on the historian's political slant with few exceptions and Mrs. Tuchman speaks to that trend years before it became so obvious. Her words also speak to the growth of the post-world war one cynicism that seems as prevalent (perhaps more so) a century later.So-called "professionals" of all fields are sometimes easily offended or threatened by what Mrs. Tuchman calls "independent" communicators in their field.Attempting to dismiss or marginalize the independent/amateur is not a response to the issues they raise.Only an independent could have written this book and challenged the "professional" establishment. And few independents have the credentials to do so as Mrs. Tuchman has.
Barbara Tuchman for Dinner
I love the feeling that I'm picking the brain of BWT. Her methods of writing and observations are worthwhile for a lifetime. The humility the author has toward fact gathering benefits all her readers. This collection is first a delight to any fan of the woman herself, and second a tool for learning about good history writing. A bonus third point is for history novices like me- a crash course on several topics of interest. A "crash course" from Barbara Tuchman is possibly an experience of the most concise, informative and comprehensive summary on a subject you'll find.

Get it for the Two Essays on The Historian
"Practicing History", by Barbara W. Tuchman, sub-titled "Selected Essays".Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 1981.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1900-1999 (20th century)    2. 20th century    3. Historiography    4. History - General History    5. History, Modern    6. History: American    7. Reference    8. World - General    9. History / Reference    10. History: theory & methods    11. USA   

Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Oral history    6. Public history    7. United States - General   

Reviews (10)

History: A Vehicle forRevelation of Truth

Blatant misinformation and misinterpretation!
This work is grossly inaccurate and requires a multitude of corrections before it should be considered valid in any regard.
Not the "Whole" Truth
Telling the Truth presents a very solid overview of western historiography's evolution and provides a provocative argument for the broadening of perspectives of what is valid for historians to include in their search for accurate causes for past events. The authors' intent to model the democratic practice they preach through collective authorship of the essay was evident, and one wonders if it would have been strengthened further by an examination of the impact their own historical context has had on the creation of their individual ideologies. In short, use themselves as case studies. This would be revolutionary of course, but a potentially very interesting historical version of self-analysis: three professional historians, women educated in the United States, during the 1970s, examining how their own environment and training shaped their views.Read more

Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History - General History    3. History: American    4. World - General    5. USA   

Reviews (5)

Inetresting... Acadamia
This book is pretty interesting for a very dry academic study... if that makes any kind of sense at all.If you are interested in background information of the great, the Nature vs. Nurture questions involved,enviornment personality type burth order etc., then you might enjoy this Tome. Not enjoyable light reading by any means, but it does site some very interesting and diverse views and theories.However if the subject is of interest to you, you might read this in tandem with Orson Scott Card's "Pastwatch", or "Enders Shadow", as well as C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen. These are the stories that brought me to the interest of the study that Dr. Simonton investigates here. But you'd have to be a lot smarter than me to read it for fun. The TV series Malcolm in the Middle gives a much more entertaining look at the subject, and if you are an academic that doesn't understand the correlation, then, that is a show you should watch from the Pilot episode to the Finale.

Worth its weight in Gold
This book is highly-recommended reading for parents. This helps parents realize what it takes to be a genius. The wide array of topics, fields covered is nothing short of amazing.
An in-depth look at what makes some people Great
Simonton's book is bound to overwhelm you. There is so much information packed into this tome that I found myself jumping from chapter to chapter. But a lot of this is fascinating. If you want to know about the correlation between intelligence and productivity or birth order and greatness, you can find it here. There is a treasury of great anecdotes about great people (my favorite is Brahms's comment about treading in the footsteps of a giant--Beethoven), and the book is a fast read (page-by-page that is--it's quite a lengthy book).Read more

Subjects:  1. Genius    2. History    3. Philosophy    4. Psychological aspects    5. Psychology    6. Research & Methodology    7. Historiography    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / History   

Reviews (1)

Good in its own way
An explanation of my reasons for reading this book will help. I'm taking a 400 level history course on the French Revolution and this book is on the list of optional texts. I chose to read it because I thought an exploration of corporeal metaphor would be quite interesting.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1754-1793    2. 18th century    3. Body, Human    4. Death and burial    5. Europe - France    6. France    7. Historiography    8. History    9. History - General History    10. King of France,    11. Louis    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Symbolic aspects    15. XVI,