Ben Waber reviewed Historiography by Ernst Breisach
A Methodical, Western-Focused Tour Through Historiography
4 stars
This book methodically works through Western historiography, starting in Greece and ending in the late 20th century. Breisach reviews the introduction of new methods in history, how social context continually alters how historians interpret the past, and contrasts different schools. I wish the view would've been expanded to non-Western approaches, and the choice to organize the book chronologically rather than by event ("The Ever Changing Past" does this beautifully for the Civil War), makes it more challenging to contrast methods and goals across time periods. Still, this is an impressive tome on the practice of history. Highly recommend
This book methodically works through Western historiography, starting in Greece and ending in the late 20th century. Breisach reviews the introduction of new methods in history, how social context continually alters how historians interpret the past, and contrasts different schools. I wish the view would've been expanded to non-Western approaches, and the choice to organize the book chronologically rather than by event ("The Ever Changing Past" does this beautifully for the Civil War), makes it more challenging to contrast methods and goals across time periods. Still, this is an impressive tome on the practice of history. Highly recommend