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Different from literary works (prose, drama etc.) with techniques like montage and contemporary media (film, documentaries, video games, internet) where time-lines are being questioned through flashbacks and flashwords, historiography seems to have resisted such challenges. Most historiographical works (biographies, scholarly studies) still adhere to chronological narratives, even though the boundaries between history and literary fiction have been blurred over the past decades. Responding to 20th/21st c. attempts like Walter Benjamin's prophetic historian, this volume asks: How to write history without following the chronologically oriented trajectory of time? The interdisciplinary contributions from a broad range of history (medieval, modern, music, sciences), sociology, life sciences, genocide research go back to a symposium that responded to a publication of Markus Vinzent (Writing the History of Early Christianity. From Reception to Retrospection of 2019, Cambridge University Press). The scholars engage with the idea of retrospection as a method of critical historiography. Writing retrospectively is not simply a matter of presentism, reversing chronology, it disrupts continuities and teleologies and opens creative futures.

Historiography is one of the most systematic accounts of the fate of culture. It is also a record of human—reflexive and reflective metaphors of the world, simultaneously anthropomorphizing and humanizing it. Historical imagination captures the world in its classical form directly, and in its non-classical form indirectly, through the lens of anthropomorphization. This enables the adaptation of the world to the human dimension or, in other words, to be constructed on a human scale. Historiography and historical thinking, especially the traditional forms, are close to the figures of public discourse because they offer meanings commensurate with it. Additionally, they are openly imbued with values, making them susceptible to easy, casual and biased interpretations. Thanks to these features, historical thinking and historiography provide a framework for texpressing currently important values and the common and specific emotions centered around them.

For all of the recent debates over the methods and theoretical underpinnings of the historical profession, scholars and laypeople alike still frequently think of history in terms of storytelling. Accordingly, historians and theorists have devoted much attention to how historical narratives work, illuminating the ways they can bind together events, shape an argument and lend support to ideology. From ancient Greece to modern-day bestsellers, the studies gathered here offer a wide-ranging analysis of the textual strategies used by historians. They show how in spite of the pursuit of truth and objectivity, the ways in which historians tell their stories are inevitably conditioned by their discursive contexts.

Historical Imagination examines the threshold between what historians consider to be proper, imagination-free history and the malpractice of excessive imagination, asking where the boundary between the two sits and the limits of permitted imagination for the historian.We use'imagination'to refer to a mental skill that encompasses two different tasks: the reconstruction of previously experienced parts of the world and the creation of new objects and experiences with no direct connection to the actual world. In history, imagination means using the mind's eye to picture both the actual and inactual at the same time. All historical works employ at least some creative imagination, but an excess is considered'too much'. Under what circumstances are historians permitted to cross this boundary into creative imagination and how far can they go? Supporting theory with relatable examples, Staley shows how historical works are a complex combination of mimetic and creative imagination and offers a heuristic for assessing this ratio in any work of history.Setting out complex theoretical concepts in an accessible and understandable manner and encouraging the reader to consider both the nature and limits of historical imagination, this is an ideal volume for students and scholars of the philosophy of history.

This classic introduction to the study of history invites the reader to stand back and consider some of its most fundamental questions – what is the point of studying history? How do we know about the past? Does an objective historical truth exist and can we ever access it?In answering these central questions, John Tosh argues that, despite the impression of fragmentation created by Postmodernism in recent years, history is a coherent discipline which still bears the imprint of its nineteenth-century origins. Consistently clear-sighted, he provides a lively and compelling guide to a complex and sometimes controversial subject, while making his readers vividly aware of just how far our historical knowledge is conditioned by the character of the sources and the methods of the historians who work on them.History does not stand still, and this updated seventh edition deals with complex and wide-ranging material in a clear and accessible way that is up-to-date with current historiographical trends. A fuller treatment is given to the importance of digitization both in the section on source criticism and in relation to public history, reflecting its growing importance within historical study. Both the text and references have been expanded to include a fuller range of both American and global scholarship, and the book concludes with a forthright reminder that historical perspective illuminates major problems in the present.Lucid and engaging, this edition retains the user-friendly features that make it a favourite with both students and lecturers, including marginal glosses, illustrations and suggestions for further reading. Along with its companion website, this is an essential guide to the theory and practice of history.

Geschichte erfreut sich nicht nur in der deutschen Öffentlichkeit einer ungebrochenen Popularität und spielt in vielen gesellschaftlichen Diskursen eine wichtige Rolle. Dabei nimmt die universitäre Geschichtswissenschaft jedoch häufig nur einen Platz am Rande ein. Um sich auch zukünftig wirkungsvoll an öffentlichen Geschichtsdiskursen beteiligen zu können, ist die „Zunft'aufgefordert, sich vielfältigen inneren wie äußeren Herausforderungen zu stellen und konstruktive Lösungen zu suchen und zu finden. Dieser Band diskutiert wichtige Problemlagen der deutschen Geschichtswissenschaft im 21. Jahrhundert, indem er Herausforderungen identifiziert, benennt und produktiv macht.

A collection of memorable, stirring, and eloquent historical essays, designed to help any historian write more artfully Is there any reason that serious historical scholarship cannot receive literary expression? Isn't it possible that the most committed empiricists and postmodernists might both achieve better results by thinking of writing as a craft, rather than just a means of packaging research? This book compiles some of the most compelling efforts to make history writing eloquent, stirring, and memorable, in the realms of both practice and theory. The authors included here prove the great potential of approaching the writing of history as a literary art, even as they retain a commitment to rigorous scholarship. The collection shows how historians can aspire to find a form that matches and enhances their substance, nudging readers toward what historian John Clive called the “spell that lingers in the memory and is conducive not just to reading but to rereading.” With selections from: Jonathan Spence, Simon Schama, Saidiya Hartman, Wendy Warren, Jill Lepore, Louis Masur, Jane Kamensky, and John Demos, among others.

The third edition of Writing History provides students and teachers with a comprehensive overview of how the study of history is informed by a broader intellectual and analytical framework, exploring the emergence and development of history as a discipline and the major theoretical developments that have informed historical writing. Instead of focusing on theory, this book offers succinct explanations of key concepts that illuminate the study of history and practical writing, and demonstrates the ways they have informed practical work. This fully revised new edition comprehensively rewrites and updates original chapters but also includes new features such as:- new chapters on postcolonial, environmental and transnational history;- chapter introductions setting them within the context of historiography;- a new substantive introduction from the editors, providing a useful road-map for students;- an expanded glossary.In its new incarnation Writing History is, more than ever, an invaluable introduction to the central debates that have shaped history.

On the surface, historical scholarship might seem thoroughly incompatible with political engagement: the ideal historian, many imagine, is a disinterested observer focused exclusively on the past. In truth, however, political action and historical research have been deeply intertwined for as long as the historical profession has existed. In this insightful collection, practicing historians analyze, reflect on, and share their experiences of this complex relationship. From the influence of historical scholarship on world political leaders to the present-day participation of researchers in post-conflict societies and the Occupy movement, these studies afford distinctive, humane, and stimulating views on historical practice and practitioners

„Schriftlose Vergangenheiten“ sind vergangene Kulturen, Völker, Ereignisse und Zustände, die keine oder nur unzulängliche schriftliche Quellen hinterlassen haben. Die Beiträge führen vor, wie historisch arbeitende Gelehrte und WissenschaftlerInnen – von der Neuzeit bis in die Gegenwart – sich mit diesem Vakuum auseinandersetzen, welche alternativen Überreste sie zu aussagekräftigen Quellen konstruieren und welche „Geschichten“ dabei entstehen.

Videoplattformen wie YouTube sind jung, dynamisch und werden häufig genutzt: Für die Mehrheit der Digital Natives ist YouTube „ein probates Mittel, um sich regelmäßig über Themen zu informieren“, und nach Suchmaschinen die zweite Anlaufstelle für Suchen im Internet überhaupt (JIM-Studie 2017). Mehr als 85% der Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen nutzen inzwischen das Internet auch zum Lernen: Auf YouTube suchen sie in diesem Zusammenhang gezielt nach Erklärvideos. Medienkonsum, Sehverhalten, Aufnahmevermögen und Partizipationswillen von jungen Menschen sind an die Gegebenheiten digitaler Medien angepasst. Audiovisuell-partizipative Medien eröffnen damit ein großes Potential und ein neues Handlungsfeld für die historisch-politische Bildung. Der vorliegende Band versucht sich an einer ersten Bestandsaufnahme des Phänomens Geschichte auf YouTube und lädt zu Reflektion und Diskussion ein. Er vereint Beiträge von Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern sowie Praktikerinnen und Praktikern. Im Mittelpunkt stehen neben theoretisch-methodischen Überlegungen vor allem Untersuchungen von Praxisbeispielen. Die Autorinnen und Autoren widmen sich dabei Fragen nach Narrationsstrategien und Authentizität von Geschichte, Produktion und Praxis, Partizipationsmöglichkeiten sowie den Chancen und Herausforderungen von YouTube für die historische Bildung. Ergänzt werden die Beiträge durch Einblicke in die Arbeit der YouTube-Kanäle „TheGreatWar“ und „MrWissen2Go“.

Liberating Histories makes an original, scholarly contribution to contemporary debates surrounding the cultural and political relevance of historical practices. Arguing against the idea that specifically historical readings of the past are necessary or are compelled by the force of past events themselves, this book instead focuses on other forms of past-talk and how they function in politically empowering ways against social injustices.Challenging the authority and constraints of academic history over the past, this book explores various forms of past-talk, including art, films, activism, memory, nostalgia and archives. Across seven clear chapters, Claire Norton and Mark Donnelly show how activists and campaigners have used forms of past-talk to unsettle ‘common sense'thinking about political and social problems, how journalists, artists, curators, filmmakers and performers have referenced the past in their practices of advocacy, and how grassroots archivists help to circulate materials that challenge the power of authorised institutional archives to determine what gets to count as a demonstrable feature of the past and whose voices are part of the ‘historical record'. Written in a lucid, accessible manner, and combining insightful critical analysis and philosophical argument with clear consideration of how different forms of past-talk influence the narration of pasts in a variety of socio-political contexts, Liberating Histories is essential reading for students and scholars with an interest in historiography and the ethical and political dimensions of the historical discipline.

The book offers a historical and methodological update of founding historical themes and moments, and a methodological review more than ever necessary of current interpretations of the History of Sardinia between the Early Middle Ages and the Modernity from an identitarian point of view. And that by means of a greater interaction between History, History of Art, Geography, Archaeology and Architecture. Sardinia has been taken as a case study due to its island nature, with boundaries clearly determined by Geography and, moreover, by its extremely conservative nature. The authors'aim is to provide scholars with new data and new reading keys to interpret Sardinian History and its Cultural Heritage. Both strongly conditioned by the permanence of Sardinia in Roman and Byzantine orbit, lato sensu, for more than a millennium (3rd c. b.C - 11th c. a.C) and by two other important elements: only about 80 years of a virtually irrelevant Vandalic domain and no Muslim lasting settlements throughout the High Middle Ages, not so far decisively confirmed by Archaeology.

Creative Historical Thinking offers innovative approaches to thinking and writing about history. Author Michael J. Douma makes the case that history should be recognized as a subject intimately related to individual experience and positions its practice as an inherently creative endeavor. Douma describes the nature of creativity in historical thought, illustrates his points with case studies and examples. He asserts history's position as a collective and community-building exercise and argues for the importance of metaphor and other creative tools in communicating about history with people who may view the past in fundamentally different ways. A practical guide and an inspiring affirmation of the personal and communal value of history, Creative Historical Thinking has much to offer to both current and aspiring historians.

The Oral History Manualis designed to help anyone interested in doing oral history research to think like an oral historian. Recognizing that oral history is a research methodology, the authors define oral history and then discuss the methodology in the context of the oral history life cycle – the guiding steps that take a practitioner from idea through access/use. They examine how to articulate the purpose of an interview, determine legal and ethical parameters, identify narrators and interviewers, choose equipment, develop budgets and record-keeping systems, prepare for and record interviews, care for interview materials, and use the interview information. In this third edition, in addition to new information on methodology, memory, technology, and legal options incorporated into each chapter, a completely new chapter provides guidelines on how to analyze interview content for effective use of oral history interview information.The Oral History Manualprovides an updated and expanded road map and a solid introduction to oral history for all oral history practitioners, from students to community and public historians.

A deconstruction of the modern history book as artifact, How to Read a History Book explains who writes history books, how the writers are trained, and why they write them. It also discusses genre, bias (political and otherwise) and how to read history books between the lines. Written for undergraduates, intro graduate students and anyone with an informed interest in the subject, How to Read a History Book demonstrates that, rather than being objects that fall from the sky, history books are actually socially-constructed artifacts reflecting all the contradictions of modern meritocratic capitalism.

••• PROSE Award Winner (2018) in the Textbook/Humanities Category •••A Practical Guide to Studying History is the perfect guide for students embarking on degree-level study. The book: - introduces students to the concepts of historical objectivity, frameworks and debate- explains the differences in aims, methods and audiences for different types of history- explores the relationship between the skills developed during a history undergraduate degree and the practice of professional history- helps students develop the practical skills required to read historical writing critically, write good essays, and participate in historical debates- includes study questions, further reading lists, text boxes, maps and illustrationsThe book incorporates case studies taken from a range of regions and periods, reflecting the varied nature of historical study at university, and helps students to understand history, and to practice it successfully: it is an indispensable guide to studying history.

Bringing sophisticated philosophy to bear on real-life historiography, Values, Objectivity, and Explanation in Historiography rekindles and invigorates the debate on two perennials in the theory and methodology of history. One is the tension between historians'values and the ideal—or illusion—of objective historiography. The other is historical explanation.The point of departure for the treatment of values and objectivity is an exceptionally heated debate on Cold War historiography in Denmark, involving not only historians but also the political parties, the national newspapers, and the courts. The in-depth analysis that follows concludes that historians can produce accounts that deserve the label'objective,'even though their descriptions are tinged by ineluctable epistemic instability. A separate chapter dissects the postmodern notion of situated truths.The second part of the book proffers a new take on historical explanation. It is based on the notion of the ideal explanatory text, which allows for not only causal—including intentional—but also nomological, structural, and functional explanations. The approach, which can accommodate narrative explanations driven by causal plots, is ecumenical but not all-encompassing. Emergent social properties and supernatural entities are excluded from the ideal explanatory text, making scientific historiography methodologically individualistic—albeit with room for explanations at higher levels when pragmatically justified—and atheist.The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative License.

Toegankelijke inleiding in de historische praktijk voor het secundair geschiedenisonderwijs Was het dodelijke schot dat Gavrilo Princip op 28 juni 1914 afvuurde de rechtstreekse aanleiding voor het losbarsten van de Eerste Wereldoorlog? Moeten we de dieperliggende oorzaken voor de Groote Oorlog eerder in de militair-politieke dan wel in de economische sfeer zoeken? En wat met de rol van het toeval in dit alles? Deze en andere historische vragen werden doorheen de afgelopen eeuw uiteenlopend beantwoord. Die verschillende, zelfs rivaliserende representaties van voorbije fenomenen, hebben alles te maken met hoe historici geschiedenis schrijven. Via voorbeelden uit de historiografie over de Eerste Wereldoorlog biedt dit tweede volume in de reeks Historisch denken een toegankelijke inleiding in de historische praktijk. Per hoofdstuk krijgt de lezer verschillende didactische scenario's, toepasbaar in het secundair geschiedenisonderwijs. Tot slot gaat dit boek in op hoe het historisch métier een zinvolle en haalbare vertaling kan krijgen naar het vak geschiedenis.

Historiography is the writing of history and the study of such writing, particularly that based on critically examining sources, choosing specific details from authentic materials within those sources, and finally, amalgamating all these details into a history that can withstand an analytical scrutiny. This pithy volume delves into a thorough examination, beginning with Egypt, where the world's earliest annals were penned. The text then takes the reader through the evolution of historiography, winding through its most important human activities, questions, and understandings. This thought-provoking book also guides readers through the theories and the history of historical writing.

In a lively challenge to mainstream history, Michael Parenti does battle with a number of mass-marketed historical myths. He shows how history's victors distort and suppress the documentary record in order to perpetuate their power and privilege. And he demonstrates how historians are influenced by the professional and class environment in which they work. Pursuing themes ranging from antiquity to modern times, from the Inquisition and Joan of Arc to the anti-labor bias of present-day history books, History as Mystery demonstrates how past and present can inform each other and how history can be a truly exciting and engaging subject.'Michael Parenti, always provocative and eloquent, gives us a lively as well as valuable critique of orthodoxy posing as'history.''—Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States'Deserves to become an instant classic.'—Bertell Ollman, author of Dialectical Investigations'Those who keep secret the past, and lie about it, condemn us to repeat it. Michael Parenti unveils the history of falsified history, from the early Christian church to the present: a fascinating, darkly revelatory tale.'—Daniel Ellsberg, author of The Pentagon Papers'Solid if surely controversial stuff.'—Kirkus

A thoughtful look at the value of learning from the past: “Nobody has done more than John Lukacs to turn the short history book into an art form” (Antony Beevor, Toronto Globe & Mail). To study history is to learn about oneself. And to fail to grasp the importance of the past—to remain ignorant of the deeds and writing of previous generations—is to bind oneself by the passions and prejudices of the age into which one is born. John Lukacs, one of today's most widely published historians, explains what the study of history entails, how it has been approached over the centuries, and why it should be undertaken by today's students. This guide is an invitation to become a master of the historian's craft.

Seit den 1990er Jahren hat sich das Augenmerk der Geschichtswissenschaft zunehmend auf die Auseinandersetzung mit bildlicher Überlieferung gerichtet, eine Entwicklung, die ganz unmittelbar im Kontext des kulturwissenschaftlichen Iconic Turn zu sehen ist. Bilder werden seitdem grundsätzlich in die historische Forschung und Vermittlung einbezogen und weit über ihre bloße Illustrations- und Anschauungsfunktion als genuine Quellen, als Medien der Erinnerungskultur sowie als geschichtskulturelle Objektivationen wahrgenommen. Es interessieren neben ihrer artifiziellen Eigenart sowohl der Produktions- als auch der Rezeptionsprozess, nach deren jeweiligen Kontexten nun dezidiert gefragt wird. Dieser Visual History tragen die Beiträge dieses Bandes Rechnung, indem sie nicht nur verschiedene Zugriffe aufweisen und höchst unterschiedliche Inhalte thematisieren, sondern auch ein Spektrum unterschiedlicher Bildgattungen und Motive aufzeigen, die zu verschiedenen Zeiten in diversen Ländern Konjunktur hatten.

The digital age is affecting all aspects of historical study, but much of the existing literature about history in the digital age can be alienating to the traditional historian who does not necessarily value or wish to embrace digital resources. History in the Digital Age takes a more conceptual look at how the digital age is affecting the field of history for both scholars and students. The printed copy, the traditional archive, and analogue research remain key constitute parts for most historians and for many will remain precious and esteemed over digital copies, but there is a real need for historians and students of history to seriously consider some of the conceptual and methodological challenges facing the field of historical enquiry as we enter the twenty-first century. Including international contributors from a variety of disciplines - History, English, Information Studies and Archivists – this book does not seek either to applaud or condemn digital technologies, but takes a more conceptual view of how the field of history is being changed by the digital age. Essential reading for all historians.

In a provocative analysis of European and American historical thinking and practice since the early 18th century, A History of History confronts several basic assumptions about the nature of history. Among these are the concept of historical realism, the belief in representationalism and the idea that the past possesses its own narrative. What is offered in this book is a far-reaching and fundamental rethinking of realist and representationalist ‘history of a particular kind'by addressing and explaining the ideas of major philosophers of history over the past three hundred years and those of the key theorists of today. In pursuing this radical analysis, the understanding of history as a narrative is evaluated along with contemporary notions such as the continuing presence of the past and the idea of ‘its lessons'. Written by one of the leading thinkers on the subject, A History of History provides an accessible and radical history of history while offering new insights into the pressing questions of the nature, purpose and function of history. This book is an essential text for all students, teachers and consumers of history.

Please explain why you think about and write history as you do?Collecting together the responses to this question from 15 of the world's foremost historians and theorists, Authoring the Past represents a powerful reflection on and intervention in the historiographical field. Edited by Alun Munslow and presented in concise digestible essays, the collection covers a broad range of contemporary interests and ideas and offers a rich set of reasoned alternative thoughts on our cultural engagement with times gone by. Emerging from an intensely fertile period of historical thought and practice, Authoring the Past examines the variety of approaches to the discipline that have taken shape during this time and suggests possible future ways of thinking about and interacting with the past. It provides a unique insight into recent debates on the nature and purpose of history and demonstrates that when diverse metaphysical and aesthetic choices are made, the nature of the representation of the past becomes a matter of legitimate dispute. Students, scholars and practitioners of history will find it a stimulating and invaluable resource.

The contemporary Dutch historical theorist/philosopher Frank Ankersmit, an erstwhile advocate and promulgator of what has become known as'the linguistic turn'in historical theory, is very well known within the discipline. His early position with regard to the historical text is frequently discussed and evaluated today, and his writings on the subject are often cited. However, this former narrativist position, so robustly and effectively defended by Ankersmit in the past, has been progressively marginalized by Ankersmit himself as his current and radically different theoretical position, most fully expressed in his recent publication Sublime Historical Experience, now (for him) takes precedence. Yet, despite this radical shift in Ankersmit's position, this conspicuous'conversion'of an eminent prime mover in the field of mainstream language centred historical theory, there has been no comprehensive and sustained (investigative) critique of his various works taken in the whole. Consequently, there has until now been no close reading and analytical dissection of that whole, such that Ankersmit's overall trajectory of philosophical thought might be adequately discerned, and perhaps even explained. In short, there is a vacant space here, and the function of this book is, precisely, to fill that space.

This classic introduction to the study of history invites the reader to stand back and consider some of its most fundamental questions - What is the point of studying history? How do we know about the past? Does an objective historical truth exist and can we ever access it? In answering these central questions, John Tosh argues that, despite the impression of fragmentation created by postmodernism in recent years, history is a coherent discipline which still bears the imprint of its nineteenth-century origins. Consistently clear-sighted, he provides a lively and compelling guide to a complex and sometimes controversial subject, while making his readers vividly aware of just how far our historical knowledge is conditioned by the character of the sources and the methods of the historians who work on them. The fifth edition has been revised and updated throughout, with the addition of new sections on: · Global history · Comparative history · Postcolonialism · Women's and gender history · Oral history and memory Lucid and engaging, this new edition retains all the user-friendly features that have helped to make this book a favourite with both students and lecturers, including marginal glosses, illustrations, suggested further reading and boxed guides to key events and people.

Perhaps the most important histiographic innovation of the twentieth century was the application of the historical method to wider and more expansive areas of the past. Where historians once defined the study of history strictly in terms of politics and the actions and decisions of Great Men, historians today are just as likely to inquire into a much wider domain of the past, from the lives of families and peasants, to more abstract realms such as the history of mentalities and emotions. Historians have applied their method to a wider variety of subjects; regardless of the topic, historians ask questions, seek evidence, draw inferences from that evidence, create representations, and subject these representations to the scrutiny of other historians. This book severs the historical method from the past altogether by applying that method to a domain outside of the past. The goal of this book is to apply history-as-method to the study of the future, a subject matter domain that most historians have traditionally and vigorously avoided. Historians have traditionally rejected the idea that we can use the study of history to think about the future. The book reexamines this long held belief, and argues that the historical method is an excellent way to think about and represent the future. At the same time, the book asserts that futurists should not view the future as a scientist might—aiming for predictions and certainties—but rather should view the future in the same way that an historian views the past.

The Oral History Manual is designed to help anyone interested in doing oral history research to think like an oral historian. Recognizing that oral history is a research methodology, the authors first define oral history and provide an overview of its various applications. They then examine in detail the processes of planning and doing oral history, which include articulating the purpose of interviews, determining legal and ethical parameters, identifying narrators and interviewers, choosing equipment, developing budgets and record-keeping systems, preparing for and recording interviews, and caring for interview materials. The Oral History Manual provides a road map for all oral history practitioners, from students to public historians.

It was traditionally accepted (already in Poetics by Aristotle) that historiographic representations of historical events were more objective than literary ones that belonged to the realm of fiction. In the last 30 years with the breaking of the “Rankeian” faith in the attainable scientific objectivity of historiography it became clear that these two disciplines are not as apart as we might have thought. However, it is not merely the question whether or not we can attain a certain degree of objectivity in both historiography and literature, which is at the core of this book, but rather, what are the means and consequences of contemporary interactions of historiography and art.To be able to open a debate on this issue, the editors gathered scientists from different professional and cultural background (historians, comparative literature scientists and musicologists from different parts of Europe). The result deconstructs not only a belief that historiography can and should be more objective than literature, it also shows that literary history at its very beginning in the 19th Century was crucially influenced by a popular concept of the so called organicism. Furthermore, it shows in several case studies the social consequences of particular representations of history and at the end even doubts that we can speak of historical genres in all forms of art (e.g. in the opera). Gasper Troha and Vanesa Matajc teach in the Department of Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at University of Ljubljana.Gregor Pompe teaches in the Department of Musicology at University of Ljubljana.

Based on the assumption that reality, reference and representation work together, Narrative and History explains and illustrates the various ways in which historians write the past as history. For the fist time, the full range of leading narrative theorists such as Paul Ricoeur, Hayden White, Frank Ankersmit, Seymour Chatman and Gérard Genette have been brought together to explain the narrative-making choices all author-historians make when creating historical explanations.Narrative and History:- considers the range of author-historian decisions through key concepts such as epistemological and aesthetic choice, ethics and ideology, emplotment and argument- defines and illustrates the functions of narrating and narration, authorial voice, characterisation and the timing of the text- explores in detail the consequences for truth, objectivity, meaning, the role of experimental history, and history representation beyond the textual in film, TV, public history, performance and digitization.Combining theory with practice, Alun Munslow expands the boundaries of the discipline and charts a new role for unconventional historical forms and modes of expression.

In Deconstructing History, Alun Munslow examines history in the postmodern age. He provides an introduction to the debates and issues of postmodernist history. He also surveys the latest research into the relationship between the past, history and historical practice as well as forwarding his own challenging theories.The book discusses issues of both empiricist and deconstruction positions and considers the arguments of major proponents of both stances, and includes: an examination of the character of historical evidence exploration of the role of historians discussion of the failure of traditional historical methods chapters on Hayden White and Michel Foucault an evaluation of the importance of historical narrative an up to date, comprehensive bibliography an extensive and helpful glossary of difficult key terms. Deconstructing History maps the philosophical field, outlines the controversies involved and assesses the merits of the deconstructionist position. He argues that instead of beginning with the past history begin with its representation by historians.

By nature, human beings seek to make sense of their past. Paradoxically, true historical explanation is ultimately impossible. Historians never have complete evidence from the past, nor is their methodology rigorous enough to prove causal links. Although it cannot be proven that'A caused B,'by redefining the agenda of historical discourse, scholars can locate events in time and place history once again at the heart of intellectual activity.In Past Futures, Ged Martin advocates examining the decisions that people take, most of which are not the result of a'process,'but are reached intuitively. Subsequent rationalizations that constitute historical evidence simply mislead. All historians can do is to locate them in time, to explain not why a decision was taken, but why then? To illustrate, Martin asks a number of questions: What is a'long time'in history? Are we close to the past or remote from it? Is democracy a recent experiment, or proof of our arrival at the end of a journey through time? Can we engage in a historical dialogue with the past without making clear our own ethical standpoints? Although explanation is ultimately impossible, humankind can make sense of its location in time through the concept of'significance,'a device for highlighting events and aspects of the past. In so doing, Martin suggests a radical new approach to historical discourse.

Our understanding of the past shapes our sense of the present and the future: this is historical consciousness. While academic history, public history, and the study of collective memory are thriving enterprises, there has been only sparse investigation of historical consciousness itself, in a way that relates it to the policy questions it raises in the present. With Theorizing Historical Consciousness, Peter Seixas has brought together a diverse group of international scholars to address the problem of historical consciousness from the disciplinary perspectives of history, historiography, philosophy, collective memory, psychology, and history education.Historical consciousness has serious implications for international relations, reparations claims, fiscal initiatives, immigration, and indeed, almost every contentious arena of public policy, collective identity, and personal experience. Current policy debates are laced with mutually incompatible historical analogies, and identity politics generate conflicting historical accounts. Never has the idea of a straightforward'one history that fits all'been less workable. Theorizing Historical Consciousness sets various theoretical approaches to the study of historical consciousness side-by-side, enabling us to chart the future study of how people understand the past.

Since ancient times, the pundits have lamented young people's lack of historical knowledge and warned that ignorance of the past surely condemns humanity to repeating its mistakes. In the contemporary United States, this dire outlook drives a contentious debate about what key events, nations, and people are essential for history students. Sam Wineburg says that we are asking the wrong questions. This book demolishes the conventional notion that there is one true history and one best way to teach it. Although most of us think of history -- and learn it -- as a conglomeration of facts, dates, and key figures, for professional historians it is a way of knowing, a method for developing and understanding about the relationships of peoples and events in the past. A cognitive psychologist, Wineburg has been engaged in studying what is intrinsic to historical thinking, how it might be taught, and why most students still adhere to the'one damned thing after another'concept of history. Whether he is comparing how students and historians interpret documentary evidence or analyzing children's drawings, Wineburg's essays offer'rough maps of how ordinary people think about the past and use it to understand the present.'Arguing that we all absorb lessons about history in many settings -- in kitchen table conversations, at the movies, or on the world-wide web, for instance -- these essays acknowledge the role of collective memory in filtering what we learn in school and shaping our historical thinking.