The Secret of World History: Selected Writings on the Art and Science of History

by Leopold von Ranke, Roger Wines (Editor)

For the English speaking reader of today, Ranke is surprisingly inaccessible; indeed, he has become something of a patron saint, more praised than read. Now all his major works have been translated, while almost none of his letters, notes, or essays, so important in getting an informal appraisal of his craft of history, is in English. Many of his of books, whether in German or in English, are no longer in print, and the modern reader is less likely to bear up with the four or six volume works which are. Thus the purpose of this anthology is to bring attention to some of the riches which a reader might find in a more extended study of Ranke's histories. Its emphasis is on Ranke as an historian, with translations of essays and addresses which lay down his program for research, politics, and the relationship between and historian's values and his work. It also attempts to give some sense of Ranke's literary skill, by including examples of his historical portraiture from his History of the Popes, History of France, and History of the Reformation. Finally, a selection of letters and brief reflections culled from his works and notes tries to recapture the man, whose own inner development joined with the tendencies of his age to make him a world-historical figure in Ranke's own sense of the word.

Genres: History, Philosophy, World History, European History

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Leopold von Ranke was a German historian, considered one of the founders of modern source-based history. Ranke set the tone for much of later historical writing, introducing such ideas as reliance on primary sources (Empiricism), an emphasis on narrative history and especially international politics (Aussenpolitik).

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The guy is the father of modern historical study, and he really isn't that bad to read either, but I can't pretend that I had tons of fun with this. Ranke was really only interested in "the Latin and Germanic nations" and the interplay between the various states of Europe in the 1500s and 1600s and 1700s. I'm sure he was interested in the 1800s too, but he doesn't seem to have written about that era too much (it was his own era, after all). Ranke has a funny way of disavowing all subjectivity, writing about how he wants to tell history "as it actually happened," from an objective perspective, while at the same time admitting that he is very close with the King of Prussia and the King of Bavaria and they are his generous lords and patrons, etc etc. Tons of Prussia boosterism strewn throughout his work. He also believed that states won wars when they had a greater accumulation of "moral energies" on their side. Seems a bit out of date, and yet, not all that different from that strain of American historiography that believes the United States is divinely inspired and guided to special greatness by God's providence. If you substituted the US for Prussia and George Washington for Frederick the Great in Ranke's work, it might seem pretty familiar.
This kind of old fashioned "great man" history can be fun to read at times. Ranke has a nice poetically embroidered flow to his history. He is more than willing to work in personality traits of these kings and popes that may or may not be true but are certainly entertaining. This collection also includes a very modern-sounding smack down of an earlier historian's work on Italy, in which Ranke points out plagiarism, repetition, digressions, outright invention- this is fun to read as well.

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to understand the argument in favor of the spirituality underplaying the state and history; yet, Ranke's own methods of historical method highly makes use of objective means. This book also deeply connects the relationship between politics and history, politician and historian.

[Vivi Venancio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good selection of the Ranke's most representatives texts. The introductions and context of texts are very helpfull too.