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In Defence of History
 
 
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In Defence of History (Hardcover)

by Richard J. Evans (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 307 pages
  • Publisher: Granta Books (23 Sep 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1862070687
  • ISBN-13: 978-1862070684
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 812,394 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description
This volume combines argument about the nature of history with case studies of how good history is written and researched. At a time of deep scepticism about people's ability to learn anything from the past, even to recapture any serious sense of past cultures and ways of life, Richard Evans shows readers why history is both possible and necessary. He demolishes the wilder claims of postmodern historians who deny the possibility of any realistic grasp of history, and explains the political dangers of losing a historical perspective on the way people live their lives. Richard Evans is the author of "Death in Hamburg" (winner of the Wolfson Literary Award for History) and "Rituals of Retribution".
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9 Reviews
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4.4 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A brain-saving study, 23 Jan 2005
This review is from: In Defence of History (Paperback)
I have re-read this book several times while in education, and it has restored my enthusiasm for academic work at times when the prevalence of post-structuralist theory in universities has left me thoroughly despondent. Evans is an acute critic, generous as well as exacting, and his writing is entertaining even when covering the most arcane philosophy. This book successfully unites a keen awareness of the theory of history with a pragmatic appreciation of its practice. Members of any discipline in which reading and writing are important (I come from an English literature background) can learn a lot, and take a lot of reassurance, from this rebuttal to relativism. Incidentally, the final chapter of the revised edition, in which Evans takes on his unfriendly critics, is one of the funniest shows of debunking available. A splendid book.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb discrediting of postmodernism, 4 Jun 2000
This review is from: In Defence of History (Paperback)
Evans' book is not only a superb general introduction to the idea of history, written in a non-stuffy or academic style, but a useful reminder of why it is such a daft idea to treat history as if it were literary theory, and attempt to view it through postmodern eyes. I read this just after I read Keith Jenkins' somewhat depressing introduction to postmodernist history - 'Rethinking History', and it was therefore an extremely uplifiting experience (especially as I was about to start a history degree at university!) Incidentally, Jenkins' response to this book in 'Why History?: Ethics and Postmodernity' is worth checking out, though I found it a little weak and seeming to miss vital points about historiography, as postemodernists so often seem to.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating, funny and witty, 17 Feb 2001
This review is from: In Defence of History (Paperback)
In Defence of History gives a fascinating and often witty insight into the established standard text for the undergraduate historian. Namely E H Carr's What is History? Where Carr provided an excellent, although in places difficult to read manual for historical research. R J Evans rather than providing a new way, questions the validity of Carr's method for establishing what is a historical fact. In Defence of History follows an identical format, including the exact chapter headings found in What is History?, which allows easy comparison between texts. In essence R J Evans offers nothing new to the process of historical research and in this sense cannot be counted as a great historian such as Carr and Elton. He does however offer an easily accessible re work of Carr's established theory. Evans includes a brief discussion of the problems post modernism presents for history and historians. Although tends to take the view that history does not need defending against the revisionist attack. Ostensibly In Defence of History is a pleasure to read and valuable to historians either professional or amateur. Although in my opinion it will not replace E.H Carr's What is history? But rather be used in conjunction with, to provide the best result.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Strong Defence
The dreary trite pseudo-`insights' of post-modernism reappear again; this time with their feeble attempts to turn history into just another `text'. Read more
Published 8 months ago by D. A. Hadley

5.0 out of 5 stars The day I fell in love with Science...
The day I fell in love with Science was a funny day, weird in that I don't remember it. We had an on-off relationship going on for a while, for so long I don't remember. Read more
Published 23 months ago by A. Tatton

5.0 out of 5 stars A great defence of history and a great defense of the truth.
Somehow postmodernist theory has gotten into the main stream of academia. Their grand, intricate, convoluted theories, that when applied, actually don't work, are being preached... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2007 by Sean Gainford

2.0 out of 5 stars Evans misses the point
In Defence of history fails to do what it's title suggests. The main reason for that is he fails to properly understand the post-structuralist challenge presented to his unabashed... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2002 by bowenpgf@hotmail.com

5.0 out of 5 stars fanastic start point for any student of history
Evans book justifies the historical method of thinking about the evidence and sources a historian has in front of him to make a cognitive analysis of the past. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for students of historiography
Richard Evan's book provides a good starting point for students studying historiography. It is a modern book that will help shed light on historiography itself and is an... Read more
Published on 11 April 1999

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