Thoughtful and scholarly, yet accessible, "The Changing Face of the
Past: An Introduction to Western Historiography" provides readers
with an overview of the changing approaches to understanding the
past in the western world over the last 2,500 years. Arguing that
it is indispensable for students of history to have a familiarity
with the history of their discipline, it demonstrates how these
precursors were essential in forming our present views on how
history should be composed. Beginning with the earliest historical
thought and ending with the twentieth century the book explores
diverse voices and perspectives on the past through a combination
of expository essays by the author and carefully selected
primary-source selections that reflect the essays most important
themes.
The opening chapter addresses the basic concepts of history,
historians, and historiography, providing definitions of key terms
and critical information on the role and conventions of historians.
Subsequent chapters survey periods of history chronologically,
adding philosophical context, and exploring the significance of
varying viewpoints from the writers of the time. These chapters
include: Beginnings: The Invention of History; Roman History;
History in the Middle Ages; Early Modern Historiography; History
and Enlightenment; Historicism and Empiricism; and Into the
Twentieth Century.
As students read through the material they are exposed to some of
the most important figures in the development of western historical
thought, including Herodotus, Tacitus, Guicciardini, Gibbon, and
Marx. They learn that history has never been the mere
representation of past events. History can be purely pragmatic. It
can be a moral enterprise. It can be an expression of culture. It
can reflect the highest aspirations, and it can come from a place
of crisis.
"The Changing Face of the Past" gives students a sweeping yet
detailed introduction to important primary source material. It
challenges them to consider what these writings say about the past
and more importantly, what they say about history s ongoing
endeavor to describe, explain, and interpret it.
Paul Dover earned his Ph.D. at Yale University. Dr. Dover, a
historian of Europe and the Mediterranean world in the late
medieval and early modern periods, is on the faculty at Kennesaw
State University where he teaches historiography, and is an
instructor in the first-year honors Great Books program. His
research interests focus on the political, diplomatic, and cultural
history of Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with an
emphasis on diplomacy in the Renaissance. Dr. Dover's professional
writing has appeared in the Journal of Early Modern History, the
"Journal of Urban History," and the "International Journal of the
Classical Tradition.""
General
Imprint: |
Cognella Academic Publishing
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
December 2013 |
First published: |
December 2013 |
Editors: |
Paul M. Dover
|
Dimensions: |
254 x 203 x 16mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
298 |
Edition: |
Revised First ed. |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-62661-239-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
1-62661-239-0 |
Barcode: |
9781626612396 |
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