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Title: Telling the Truth About History by Joyce Appleby, Lynn Hunt, Margaret Jacob ISBN: 0-393-31286-0 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Questionable Historiography
Comment: Did history begin with European theorists and scientists? From the perspective of Joyce Appleby, Lynn Hunt, and Margaret Jacob, it appears that way. They make immense references to Michel Foucault, Martin Heidegger, Jacques Deridda, and Isaac Newtown without really coming to a conclusion to their contribution to the "truth" about history. These major contributors to history, be it to European or American, belong within the confines of a philosophical and theoretical analysis rather than trying to convince the reader that they make the bulk of historiography or the study of history.
Appleby and cohorts rant back and forth about the Englightenment and the age of old, the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, but never quite come to a consensus of history as a whole. The chapter entitled "Competing Histories of America" merely appeared to be a snore that name dropped and did not represent an objective and revealing analysis as it appeared it should have. The section, "The Implication of Social History for Multiculturalism" should have presented what the title stated, however, it did not. It had been quite disappointing reading this. Not one mention of Native Americans, Asian Americans, oh one name drop of W.E.B. Dubois in reference to African Americans.
Overall analysis, this has been an assessment towards intellectual history. This book should not be taught in a history and theory class, but rather be provided for those who seek an optional supplementary reading list that the professor assigns. Tbis book has too much bias that leans toward the left. Possibly, the authors had a little free time on their hands and they decided to collaborate for the fun of it. Postmodernism appears to be a complex topic that even these three scholars had not been able to explain in laymen terms. Otherwise, TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT HISTORY does not cut it as a title.
I'm so glad that history is alive and well even if one does not read this book. If one wants a good conversation and debate about history, these three scholars' perspective would lend much to the discussion. It would probably raise much opinions on the subject of history, and its place in society no matter what place in the world you live and learn.
Rating: 4
Summary: Historical joy ride
Comment: Well written with ample empirical examples and insights most of us would never consider. This book is for anyone interested in tracing Western perspectives from the emergence of reason under the thumb of ignorance and dogma, through the advent of science, to muddlings of our present era returning to ignorance and dogma under the confines of censorship and totalitarian Political Correctness.
Driving forces that made America and the West what it became are surveyed - forces including the birth of reason, influence of science and our Western notion of progress. Focused on their topic, our authors properly consider what matters most to America and the West, excluding a vast array of other cultures because those cultures (Mayan, Hutu, Chilean, Eskimo - a virtually endless list) have little or absolutely nothing to do with Western development. Thus we are saved from useless inclusion of irrelevance. Nor do they waste trees on a cacophony of "voices" with something opposing to say about the facts of history as though their intent is to produce committee minutes. Noted, repeatedly, are oversights and outright suppression of females as bared from the men's club, but it is treated as a fact of history, not a call to arms.
Results of these forces included exaltation of history and "heroic science" as a means of positive reference for America (and Europe) that has since been attacked by factions wishing in part to make history's picture larger while reinventing history in ways that deny credit for anyone but their own group. It requires imagination, but the authors clarify how successful Postmodernist relatives have been in advancing the most ridiculous ideas, and, as noted, would not be given a second thought were they not becoming so dominant at our universities. Ideas such as; We invent theories in science, we do not discover them; What was not said or not written is more important than what was - as everyone in every period is said to have been political and fully so with no regard for truth. Thus whatever point was made was in fact a diversion hiding what they "really" meant. This brings to bear creative talents of our finest historians and "text interpreters" as they expend lifetimes inventing, out of thin air, what the truth "really" was. A boundless exercise as what was not spoken or written remains infinite, while what was is limited. And such conclusions from those who paradoxically preach "the truth is, there is no truth, and that's the truth".
Thankfully the authors state the obvious. "Relativism, a modern corollary of skepticism" not only reasonably questions but is now used to promote doubt in knowledge of any kind, while to the contrary our authors argue "truths about the past are possible, even if they are not absolute". For those who claim we can know nothing, and that even our theories of nature are pure, politicized imagination, we are reminded that artifacts exist - remains of civilizations, buildings, monuments, graveyards on battlegrounds, movements resulting from written words and speeches. As for inventing scientific theories as simply another false Western bias, one may wonder how all those atoms and galaxies know our political views well enough to behave precisely as predicted by theory.
The authors commit the error of confusing science with scientists - science being an ideal, while scientists remain human - and they wrongly promote a reference which claims the defense industry as dominated by scientists when it is rather dominated by engineers. This offering to reinforce a notion that science is political. (Indeed, scientists may be.) With an open mindedness bordering on mere "inclusivity" Postmodernists are given limited credit, stating they "deserve" to be heard on some matters - which left me wondering why serious historians would squander time on sophomoric reflections of declining education and trite exercises in sensitivity toward the absurd. We might consider the notion of a moon made of green cheese still holds promise if a certain vast system of conditions concerning our measurements and conceptions exist - say that we are in fact being manipulated by aliens. But any advancement in our understanding of the human condition is bound to be wasted. As a German engineer once said, "I have no time to waste on probable failures." So why waste it?
An assumption is made from the outset - common to anyone's era, which is not challenged - that the past was incorrect in their perspective. Perhaps we are wrong in refuting their positivism. Instead we assume without question the heroic models were flawed. Despite what we consider the past's delusions and narrow mindedness, we are never offered an option that their perspective, though incomplete, was superior to our own in which winners at the auction are those with the most terrible things to say about who we are. Perhaps the authors saw this as too "inclusive" and a probable failure.
Rating: 4
Summary: I hate this book, yet it is good
Comment: I am taking my History capstoneatfor my undergrad and I have to say I hate this book. Appleby, Jacob and Hunt all teach history at UCLA. Not known for it's ultra-liberal persepective. SO they bash the church, white males and consevative historians. THey have done their work and the book is well done. I wish that teachers using this book would show the other persepective of historical progress.
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Title: That Noble Dream : The 'Objectivity Question' and the American Historical Profession by Peter Novick, Quentin Skinner, Lorraine Daston, Dorothy Ross, James Tully ISBN: 0521357454 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 30 September, 1988 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: Gender and the Politics of History by Joan Wallach Scott ISBN: 0231118570 Publisher: Columbia University Press Pub. Date: 15 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.50 |
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Title: Historiography in the Twentieth Century: From Scientific Objectivity to the Postmodern Challenge by Georg G. Iggers ISBN: 0819563064 Publisher: Wesleyan Univ Pr Pub. Date: 15 January, 1997 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: The Historian's Craft : Reflections on the Nature and Uses of History and the Techniques and Methods ofThose Who Write It. by Marc Bloch ISBN: 0394705122 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 12 March, 1964 List Price(USD): $10.20 |
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Title: New American History (Critical Perspectives on the Past) by American Historical Association, Eric Foner ISBN: 1566395526 Publisher: Temple Univ Press Pub. Date: July, 1997 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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