Historical Theory

by Mary Fulbrook

Practising historians claim that their accounts of the past are something other than fiction, myth or propaganda. Yet there are significant challenges to this view, most notably from postmodernism. In Historical Theory , a prominent historian develops a highly original argument that evaluates the diversity of approaches to history and points to a constructive way forward. Mary Fulbrook argues that all historians face key theoretical questions, and that an emphasis on the facts alone is not enough. Against postmodernism, she argures that historical narratives are not simply inventions imposed on the past, and that some answers to historical questions are more plausible or adequate than others. Illustrated with numerous substantive examples and its focus is always on the most central theoretical issues and on real strategies for bridging the gap between the traces of the past and the interpretations of the present. Historical Theory is essential and enlightening reading for all historians and their students.

Genres: History, Academic

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2002

About the author

Mary Jean Alexandra Fulbrook (née Wilson) is a British academic, historian and author. Since 1995, she has been Professor of German History at University College London. She is a noted researcher in a wide range of fields, including religion and society in early modern Europe, the German dictatorships of the twentieth century, Europe after the Holocaust, and historiography and social theory.

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book, but it's a challenging one to read. The author tackles the subject of historical theory in depth, and with any subject involving plentiful theorising, it's all very complex and written in the abstract, which requires a great deal of attention. I admit that the complexities of this one meant that I floundered at times through some of the drier sections, although there's no denying that Fulbrook knows her subject and performs a very neat appraisal of the subject, tying together disparate strands in a remarkable and fair-minded way. This is the last of seven books I've read on historiography over the past half a year, and I'm now ready for a break!

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the complexities of historical theory. Fulbrook engages constructively with the postmodernist challenge and proffers some useful guidelines for the discipline.