| History, Historians, and the Dynamics of Change Contributor(s): Green, William (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0275939022 ISBN-13: 9780275939021 Publisher: Praeger OUR PRICE: $44.55 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 1993 Annotation: Green offers a remarkably lucid, erudite, and insightful description and analysis of the theoretical foundations of historical writing. He describes--and is the first to do so in an ordered approach--the systematic models by which leading historians have attempted to explain change and continuity. In the process, Green gives students and historians a cogent survey of current models essential to to an understanding of modern historiography. The three parts of the book introduce history as a theoretical discipline but one in which "truth" is elusive. "Periodization," or the manner in which time is divided to make the past manageable, is addressed. The second and third parts of the book are concerned with the dynamics of change. Each of the chapters considers a theoretical model including: Adam Smith's commercial model, Malthus' demographic model, Marx's model, and the approaches of Weber and Sombart which identify religious forces as driving historical change. Part Two focuses on European history and Part Three addresses in a universal context. The conclusion both summarizes the impacts and weighs the relevance of the theorists. It assesses, too, the value of the "periodization" system. Truly an essential volume for the student or reader of history. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Reference - History | Historiography - History | World - General |
| Dewey: 902 |
| LCCN: 92-26023 |
| Lexile Measure: 1390 |
| Physical Information: 0.69" H x 6.08" W x 9.2" (0.88 lbs) 272 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Green offers a remarkably lucid, erudite, and insightful description and analysis of the theoretical foundations of modern historical writing. He is the first to provide an orderly introduction to the several systematic models by which leading modern historians have attempted to explain continuity and change. This cogent survey is essential to an understanding of modern Western historiography. The book introduces history as a theoretical discipline. Green examines the many pitfalls of historical writing and demonstrates that historical truth is a most elusive quarry. He addresses periodization, the manner in which past time is divided, showing how prevailing modes of periodization have evolved in the West. Part two of the book is concerned with the dynamics of change in European history. Each chapter considers a specific theoretical orientation, including: the commercial model initiated by Adam Smith and pursued by Henri Pirenne and others, the demographic model first formulated by Malthus, the Marxian model (or models), and the approaches of Weber and Sombart who identified religious forces as the chief engines of historical change. Part three addresses models of change being employed in world history, particularly the world-system approach of Frank and Wallerstein and the creative orientations of environmental historians. In his conclusion, Green returns to the question of whether the theoretical models of change currently in use among historians are consistent with contemporary modes of periodization. The bibliography is extensive. |
