Subjects:  1. Ancient - Greece    2. Ancient Greece - History    3. Civilization    4. Greece    5. Hellenism    6. History    7. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    8. History: World    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Mediterranean Region    11. Ancient Greece    12. Cultural studies    13. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    14. Historiography    15. History / Ancient / General   

Editorial Review

In the 19th and 20th centuries, historiographers established scientific methods and standards for the historical profession. History's claims to objective knowledge have recently been critiqued by post-foundationalists who argue that facts cannot exist outside of the "prison house" of language. Richard Evans's Read more

Reviews (9)

How to Write History.....
Richard Evans attacks a controversial topic on the world of history today -- how to write history.There are many schools of theory in the historical profession which can affect the way historians view historical sources.Evans particulary narrows his viewpoint to those historians known as "post-modernists."He does this beccause post-modernists are perhaps some of the most controversial historians, not to mention the very theory itself, in the profession today.He also ponders what place post-modernists do have in the historical profession.
Historical study of history
Richard Evans' book analyzes history as a discipline and tackles subjects as objectivity, causation, history vs science, sources and discourses.I was assigned this book for a graduate course on historiography.Evans presents his thesis and supports his arguments well.In Defense of History is a good companion to David Fischer's Historians' Fallacies, Davidson and Lytle's After the Fact and Mark Gilderhus' History and Historians.

Too Defensive
This book is a sensible (if repetitive and meandering) defense of mainstream historiography against the claims of post-modernists.I gave the book four stars instead of five because Evans is defensive to a fault and too respectful of post-modernist hype.Post-modernism is surely one of the dopier intellectual fads of the late 20th century.Good historians have always been careful to read documents critically; they have always known that interpretations of source material can be shaped by extra-historiographical considerations.This element of "looseness" is an invitation to rational discussion of the historical record.It is not proof that rational discussion is impossible or that historians are condemned to irreducible subjective bias.Working historians should treat post-modernism the way working scientists treat it:by ignoring it and going about their business. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Philosophy    6. Study & Teaching    7. Teaching of a specific subject    8. World history   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Political aspects    7. Social aspects    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. American history    11. History / General    12. USA   

Reviews (1)

Who Really Started, Fought, and Won World War I
This is a most interesting book in that it is not a history of World War I, instead it is a history of the historical writings about World War I. The two authors, Jay Winter (Yale) and Antoine Prost (University of Paris) have looked at the histories of the war and determined:
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Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Military - World War I    6. Modern - 20th Century    7. World War, 1914-1918    8. Europe    9. European history: First World War    10. First World War, 1914-1918    11. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Reviews (5)

A review of "Art History and its Methods"
Includes:
A *Critical* Anthology
Fernie's book is indeed a little gem, a compilation of most of the major players and critical thinkers that shaped the discipline of Art History as we know it today. The format is user-friendly, with an excellent table of contents, select bibliography, and index. The glossary in the back provides definitions that are indispensable for beginners and masters alike. His intros are succinct; they provide a historical context, and distill most of the main points of each reading into a short, interesting, and easy to digest summary. A rare breed: a stimulating read
The prospect of a book filled with extracts from some of the greatest art criticism written may not fill every one with excitement, but when this is the book, it should. Eric Fernie has collected the major works of the most important art historians and critics, all translated in to English. With each he adds a slight biography and handy pointers as to what the aim of the writer was. It is true that these are just extracts (in some cases, like Goethe, it is the whole of the piece) but they give you a taste of the whole, without leaving you confused. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Criticism    4. History    5. History - General    6. History Of Fine Arts    7. Methodology    8. Study and teaching    9. Art / General    10. Historiography    11. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    12. Theory of art   

Reviews (3)

A Military Historiography update
Bottom line: this book fills a much needed gap in reviewing the state of military historiography and its themes. This alone makes it worthwhile for military historians to read this book.
Don't believe every critique that you read!
Some critiques are NOT culturally sensitive, intelligent, or insightful - nor are they competent, "scholarly" critiques.
Poorly written study of major problems in military history
Black sees some major problems in military history today:
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Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - General    6. Military Science    7. Military history, Modern    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. History / Historiography    10. Warfare & Defence   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Oral history    7. Social History    8. History / General   

Reviews (4)

Remembering is a Form of Forgetting
In Censoring History: Citizenship and Memory in Japan, Germany, and the United States Laura Hein and Mark Selden provide a critical investigation of how Japan, Germany, and even the United States recognize, think about, and then articulate their role during times of war.Hein and Seldon place their work within a larger viewpoint and try to concentrate on two main issues: [1] the connection between citizens and the state, and [2] a nation's actions in wartime and its implications vis-�-vis other countries.Censoring History is "really" about what has been left out of the public space in the development or reification a national narrative.The focal point of Censoring History is the many manifestations of such censorship and how it seeps into particular national spaces of memory.Vis-�-vis the Japanese, Germany has made tremendous strides in terms of how it deals with its past.Reading Hein and Seldon one gets the impression that on a "self-reflexivity" scale of 1 to 10 Germany is perhaps an 8 while the Japanese gaze thorough a less critical lens situating themselves in about a 5 position and the United States perhaps at and about the 3 positions.Different angles of war and internal conflict not only create problems within a nation-state, but also increasingly affect the state of affairs between them.
Japanvisitor.com Review
The premise of this book is that "schools and textbooks are important vehicles through which contemporary societies transmit ideas of citizenship and both the idealized past and the promised future". The 10 chapters look at how World War II and the Vietnam War are represented in school history textbooks in the 3 countries. Almost 50 years after the end of the war, controversy over Japanese text books continues to rage, and this book is useful to put that into some sort of perspective. Of the 10 chapters, 6 deal with Japan, including a chapter with all the details of Saburo Ienaga's famous textbook lawsuits against the Japanese government, and a couple of chapters on joint history projects between Japan and Korea, and Japan and the U.S. The common conception is that Japan has not yet faced up to its wartime past, and while I agree, after reading this book my view has been somewhat softened. Compared with the U.S.A., Japan has done more to teach its young about the negative side of its wars. If you enjoyed reading Ian Buruma's Wages of Guilt, then you will enjoy this book.

Should be required for High School/College Hist teachers
This is the best collection of essays on the "uses" of history and construction of national "memories" that I have read. This should be required reading in every high school social studies/history teacher certification program, and should be read by all who want to enter the debate on standardized testing and prescriptive curriculum content. I have used selections of it in my college level Japanese history course, my college level world history courses, and recommend it to my colleagues and also to the many high school teachers with whom I work. It shares valuable lessons on the manipulation of history for nationalistic and/or militaristic purposes.It should also be read by educational, defense, and foreign policy-makers as well as journalists who often seem too quick to pass on widely held myths as truths. Alas, I am afraid that many in these positions are more comfortable with the myths. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History, Modern    6. History: World    7. Military - General    8. Modern - 20th Century    9. Study and teaching    10. Censorship    11. Germany    12. History: theory & methods    13. Japan    14. Nationalism    15. Political control & influence    16. USA   

Reviews (6)

Hegel believes Hegel is the only one who got it right
The presumption and arrogance of Hegel's philosophical enterprise is apparent. A powerful and profound thinker he believes that he understands all. It is thesis- antithesis - synthesis and that synthesis is new thesis - antithesis - synthesis. And this logic of mind is the logic of history. And it is all coming to climax in the nineteenth century GermanyHegel is living in.
A view into the history of reason
This book was wonderful.It shouldn't be read as a history but more as a philosophy.Even there, it is a bit short of the greats.Why then do I call it wonderful?It is a view into the past intelligentsia.His history is antiquated; from a modern perspective some of it is wrong.However, it is great to see the history of views about history and the philosophy of them.I am not a pursuer of the P.C., and understand that the context of civilization, at his time, is the molder of his views.Old books such as this are windows into time and are treasures to be cherished.As far as his philosophy I intend to read more of his work in the future to get a better perspective, but I found it interesting.I am on board with Hegel in that we should pursue our Ideal of the Greek Golden Era to maintain a lofty goal for civilization.Which can be summed up by Thucydides in his description ofAthenian life; "We love the beautiful, but without ostentation or extravagance; we philosophize without being seduced thereby into effeminacy and inactivity (for when men give themselves up to Thought, they get further and further from the Practical--from activity for the public, for the common weal). We are bold and daring; but this courageous energy in action does not prevent us from giving ourselves an account of what we undertake (we have a clear consciousness respecting it); among other nations, on the contrary, martial daring has its basis in deficiency of culture: we know best how to distinguish between the agreeable and the irksome; notwithstanding which, we do not shrink from perils."

Hegel's most accessible introduction to his thought
Philosophy of History is Hegel's most accessible introduction to his thought.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History & Surveys - Modern    5. Philosophy    6. History: theory & methods    7. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (3)

New History From a Distinguished Panel of Researchers.
The editor of this comprehensive textbook, Peter Burke (no relation) is a Reader (I think that is a teacher in Britian) of cultural history at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Emmanuel College, where Gwyn Prins is the director of studies in history and is a contributor to this most interesting history perspective study.He studied grattifi of Renaissane Italy, which could be political street culture if on a famous statue or ritual insults when scribbled on the door of an enemy.He wrote POPULAR CULTURE IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE in 1978.
Good bedside reading
For those insomniacs out there this book will certainly do the trick. Or it makes a good paper weight or door stop.

Had it for a class as an unddergrad and it was good.
Although at times too abstract the book is a good discussion of historical writing.It is not an easy read but it is very rewarding. I was a better student of history after I read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History - General History    3. Methodology    4. Social Science    5. Sociology   

Reviews (7)

This thing was awful!
This was most likely a failed attempt at selling some more copies. Being a student of history myself I understand the "truth" that historians do not know exactly what happened in the past. They do, however, attempt to reconstruct the events in the past and offer some explanation as to why they happened and how they affect us today.
Interesting historiography experiment, less interesting narrative
Other reviews address the ways Schama deals with issues of truth, the boarder between history and fiction, and techniques of recreating the past in more vivid and personal ways.And as a book for stimulating discussion among historians and historybuffs, Dead Certainties is an admirable work.
An "Unwarranted" Review?
Simon Schama's "Dead Certainties (Unwarranted Speculations)" is an interesting foray into the murky realm of historiography. The book is comprised of two "tales:" that of General James Wolfe who (purportedly) meets his end at the Battle of Quebec in 1759 and that of George Parkman, a Harvard Professor who met a grisly end in 1849 - which Schama treats as an historical "murder mystery."Read more

Subjects:  1. 1727-1759    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Boston    5. Boston (Mass.)    6. Death    7. Death and burial    8. Historiography    9. History    10. History - General History    11. Massachusetts    12. Social aspects    13. Wolfe, James,    14. History / General    15. Parkman, Francis    16. Parkman, George    17. Wolfe, James   

Subjects:  1. Chile    2. Collective memory    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Latin America - South America    8. Memory    9. Modern - 20th Century    10. Political History    11. ACTIVISM    12. Cultural studies    13. History, Latin American    14. JEWISH STUDIES    15. Political science & theory    16. South America   

Reviews (1)

Alive in History
This ia a lightwieght book about a sometimes heavy wieght subject.It takes a novice at history and helps put it in a light that makes it relevant for study.This book would be very good for those who hate to study history.For those who already love history, it is a great example of looking at it in a different way.Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. General    3. Historiography    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Religious aspects    8. History: theory & methods    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. Armenian Kingdom, 1080-1375    2. Cilicia    3. Hethum    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. II,    9. Interior Design - General    10. King of Armenia,    11. Mamelukes    12. Medieval    13. Middle East - General    14. d. 1307    15. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 500 to c 1500    16. Middle East   

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Ethnic Issues    3. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History: World    7. Reference    8. Africa    9. African history    10. American history    11. History, American | African American    12. The Americas   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Folklore & Mythology    3. Historiography    4. History    5. Intellectual History    6. Latin America - South America    7. Native American    8. Paez Indians    9. Sociology    10. American history    11. Anthropology    12. Cultural studies    13. Folklore    14. Indigenous peoples    15. South America   

Subjects:  1. Blacks    2. Cape of Good Hope    3. History    4. History: World    5. Slavery    6. South Africa    7. South Africa - History    8. Historiography    9. History / Africa    10. Republic of South Africa    11. Slavery & emancipation    12. Social history    13. c 1600 to c 1700    14. c 1700 to c 1800    15. c 1800 to c 1900   

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

Reviews (4)

Historiography, existing in unconscious dysfunctional paradigms, still disservices science
"A SCIENTIFIC revolution, according to Kuhn [the scientist/linguist author of THE THEORY OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS], is not simply an addition to pre-existing knowledge. It is, within any field, 'a reconstruction of the field from new fundamentals'; a complete demolition of an old theoretical and conceptual structure and its replacement by a new one based on entirely different aims and premises. The old paradigm...attacked from the outside...cannot be defeated on the basis of its own rules for, as we have seen...these rules are not only inadequate to solve new problems which have begun to arise--THEY ACTUALLY PRECLUDE ANY DISCUSSION OF THESE PROBLEMS AT ALL."
A very bad attempt to read minds
Not all African slaves came from West Africa, to the impaired minds.Africans were orignally from south and East Africa which is were Africans originated, and later migrated to West, North, North west, and North east(in no particular order) Africa.Indeed the comments from viewers and the author's need to study geography as it pertains to African ppl as a whole.Just becos most Africans were taking from West Africa doesnt take away from the other parts of Africa inwhich African negro slaves also were taking to different countries, which does not take away from the evidence of what they created and left behind, before any calamities.So, if there is this outcry from so-called black Afro-centric ppl, it is only becos ppl like this Author will go out of their way to write a lame book like this, being a kiss ass who gives this watered down interpretation of the insulting word called Afrocentricity.Indeed this Author should write a book about how the Indians are overreacting about Native American Indianism being that their majority of ppl where killed by English invaders, what! are they exaggerating as well?To mark African descendants as being Afrocentric in a negative way, is nothing more than a weak attempt by Euro scholars and their brown nosing Euro-students and Non-Euro-students to discredit African scholars who have been bringing evidence to the table and not emotional baggage.Indeed ppl, pay attention to geographical migration and overall African homogeny, before you accuse ppl who know their own kin as being a racially profiled Afrocentric.Ppl who agree with unproven ideas are worser than the ones pointing the finger. GET A LIFE!

Fairly balanced work on a controversial subject
Like most serious African-American educators, I don't have a high opinion of so-called "Afrocentric" history. However, I do understand why many of the Black masses feel the psychological need to beleive the historical tall tales and overemphasis on Egyptian Mythology (although in reality, most of today's African-Americans are descended from West Africans).Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Afrocentrism    3. American - African American & Black    4. Blacks In The U.S.    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    7. Historiography    8. History - General History    9. History: American    10. Intellectual life    11. Social Science    12. United States    13. World - General    14. 20th century    15. Afrocentrism--United States    16. Literary Criticism & Collections / American    17. Literary studies: general    18. Literary theory    19. Novels, other prose & writers: 19th century    20. USA    21. c 1700 to c 1800    22. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

incomprehensible
Another jargon loaded archaeological theory classic. It reviews major trends of post-processual archaeology, but it sent me and most of my friends in the archaeology course straigh to sleep. If you want a good book on theory, that wont have the same effect, get Matthew Johnsons archaeological theory. ITs in plain english for a change.

A tremendous book!
Reading the past is Hodders first book where he explicitly descibes the new post-processual archaeology and give critics about the processual (and other) approach. Truly a paradigm-shift, this book is the first book thatcovers the basic ideas of post-processualism... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Archaeology    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Methodology    4. Philosophy    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Anthropology    8. Archaeological methodology & techniques    9. Archaeological theory    10. Historiography    11. History / Ancient / General