Fifty Key Thinkers on History

by Marnie Hughes-Warrington

Fifty Key Thinkers on History is a superb guide to historiography through the ages. The cross-section of debates and thinkers covered is unique in its breadth, taking in figures from ancient China, Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages, to contemporary Europe, America, Africa and Australia; from Bede to Braudel; Marx to Michelet; Ranke to Rowbotham; Foucault to Fukuyama. Each clear and concise essay offers biographical information, a summary and discussion of the subjects approach to history and how others have engaged with it, a list of their major works and a guide to diverse resources for further study, including books, articles, films and websites.

Genres: History, World History, Nonfiction, Philosophy

473 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn into the 'Fifty Key' series from Routledge by Steve Pressman's excellent contribution on Economists and the company's similar volume on political thinkers which is very accessible. This is another worthy edition to the canon but I'd place it alongside the volume the firm commissioned in International Relations as it's a far more dense affair and likely to be more pleasing to academics than the general public. One issue is the choice - never an easy job - but we are talking about the full sweep of history's historiographers here - so Herodotus and the Venerable Bede rub shoulders with Niall Ferguson. Another issue is that a good many of the thinkers present are not regarded as historians first and foremost - Marx, Nietzsche, Heidegger etc - so it's as much a book about the history of ideas as it is about history. It's well written and researched but I'd be keen to see a volume on 50 key historians of today, one that might reflect current trends and debates as to what the discipline is.

[Amarjeet Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across Fifty Key Thinkers on History the second edition while looking for a suitable guide to Carr's What is History? which I initially found a bit perplexing.

Warrington's review of fifty leading historiography trailblazers however put me right and introduced me to potent key concepts regarding the primacy of history in human social development. I recommend this easy to read book to all budding historians.

[Chris Lemery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and well-written introduction to historians and historiography. Each piece gives a brief biographical background on the author; explains their thought and work; assesses their impact; and highlights selected criticism of the author's work. Very nicely done.

[Mark Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beginner's guide to fifty major historical thinkers. Each essay is accompanied by a bibliography and notes for further reading. I like to think of this as a good place to look for potential reads on history.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heavy read but well written.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifty Key Thinkers is an invaluable resource for any serious students or readers of history. The author's descriptions are succinct, insightful and not anachronistic.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book which is surprising because I am not a historian. But I found that reading each biography gave me an interesting perspective on history. I did have to read them in chronological order, not the alphabetical order they were presented in, as jumping back and forth among time periods confused me.

I was also very surprised to see two large time gaps, one between BC and AD (I think it was right after Bede but I already returned the book to the library and can't quite remember) and the other from about 700 AD to about 1300 AD. Why were there no major historians listed in between these times? Did nothing happen? Did no one write about it? Were there no historians during these times? As I said, I am not a historian so it perplexed me.

And I was happy that the author gave a content list both by alphabetical order and by chronological order, making it much easier for me to keep track of who to read next.

As I said, a really interesting book!

[Argene Clasara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction for Philosophy of History. Short biographical notes of the thinker were included to establish context. Concise ideas supported by examples of the thinkers were also included. At the end of each section, the reader will find criticisms on the thinker written by the author and other thinkers.