In his introduction evans makes clear the book is a response to postmodernist criticism of historical practice. In a 2004 interview, he stated that frequent visits to wales during his childhood inspired both an interest in history and a sense of otherness. Granta books 1997 abstract introduction i this book is about how we study history, how we research and write about it, and. Richard j evans is an author and provost of gresham college, london. I read in defence of history by evans as a part of a project on the changing nature of historiography and it was thoroughly fascinating. Postmodernist thinkers consider history to be not very far removed from a work of fiction, something dependent on historians own interpretations of the past. In his compact, brilliant, and compulsively readable account, richard j. Then evans criticises carrs opinion that facts are created in the act of being picked up by historians. The book combines a blowbyblow account of the 28 hours evans spent on the stand with. It has been described by bernard crick as a rare intellectual achievement, speaking lucidly to both historians and to the general reader, and according to sir keith thomas president of the british academy. In the autumn of 1997, the historian richard j evans received an unusual phone call.
It was from anthony julius, a solicitor best known for his work for diana, princess of wales, during her divorce. Search the history of over 418 billion web pages on the internet. Under the onslaught of postmodernist theory, the profession of history is in crisis, its assumptions derided and its methods rejected as outmoded. In the course of his trevelyan lectures, delivered in cambridge, broadcast on bbc radio, and printed in a book that has since sold over a quarter of a million copies worldwide, carr sought to answer this question in a number of ways. A great defence of history and a great defense of the truth somehow postmodernist theory has gotten into the main stream of academia. Evans, however, argues that we can trust history and it is possible to be objective abou. Many others of his books have reached appeared on the new york times bestseller list, and there are more than seventeen million copies of his books in print. Mar 01, 2017 in the autumn of 1997, the historian richard j evans received an unusual phone call. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. A central aim of this book is to recreate all these things for a modern readership, and to remind readers that, to quote another wellknown aphorism about history, the past is a foreign country. It works especially well for those who have read what is history by e h carr, as these two books pair nicely by giving different perceptions of history, although contrasting it as well due to evans writing on the turn of the century whilst carr wrote in the 60s.
Goodreads members voted in defence of history into the following lists. At a time of deep scepticism about our ability to learn anything from the past, even to recapture any serious sense of past cultures and ways of life, evans shows us why history. He has taught at the university of east anglia, where he was professor of european history, and birkbeck, university of london, where he was professor of history and vicemaster. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read in defence of history. From 1977 to 1983 evans served as the second president of the evergreen state college in olympia, which evans had created in 1967 by signing a legislative act authorizing the formation of the college. Here is the access download page of in defence of history richard j evans. There are more than 35 million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than 24 languages. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading in defense of history.
Anyway, if you were wondering why even evans book it may be outmodedcriticised then the following points examplify why so. Since vietnam, both the way we fight and our reasons for going to war have become much more complex. At a time when fact and historical truth are under unprecedented assault, evans shows us why history is necessary. Evans s most popular book is the coming of the third reich the history of the. Richard evans, planter, legislator, and town founder, was born in bath, beaufort county, the son of richard evans, mariner, and mary lillington evans. In defence of history is a closely argued, highly readable and frequently humorous plea for tolerance towards different ways of perceiving the subject. In telling lies about hitler, he describes the trial as raising in an acute and. For in reading him, one joins company with someone who finds history a matter, as allan nevins long ago put it, of free.
Each of his more than 35 novels has been a new york times bestseller. A master practitioner gives us an entertaining tour of the historians workshop and a spirited defense of the search for historical truth. Evans tells about evans experience as an expert witness defending deborah lipstadts book denying the holocaust. In defense of history kindle edition by evans, richard j download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In this volume, english historian richard evans offers a defence of the importance of his craft. This has brought me to in defence of history by richard j. Evans in defence of history new edition new edition by richard j. The classic explanation of the craft of history and the vital worth of historians to civilizationin this volume, english historian richard evans offers a defence of the importance of his craft. A life in history, published by little, brown in the uk in february 2019 and by oxford university press in the usa. A lucid, muscular, and often sly reflection on the nature of historical knowledge by an experienced practicing historian.
Best known for the christmas box, richard paul evans was born in salt lake city in 1962. Evans is worried about postmodernism in history, a term he never defines but which he implicitly construes as the questioning of the existence of objective facts. The growing assault on truth and memory against a uk libel charge by. The largest building on the evergreen campus is named the daniel j. History, holocaust, and the david irving trials, richard j.
Evans is regius professor emeritus of history at cambridge university. Ranging across topics such as historical objectivity, society and the individual, the nature of causation, and the possibility of progress, carr delivered an incisive text that still has the power to provoke debate today. Get in defence of history richard j evans pdf file for free from our online library pdf file. Buy your books and related items online with booktopia and we will take care of you. What is history with a new introduction by richard j. As a layman in the field, i had assumed that history was in fact doing very well and was in no need of any defence, academic. A brief history of modern warfare by richard connaughton.
Evans shows us how historians manage to extract meaning from the recalcitrant past. We live in an era that has made in defense of history indispensable. History, holocaust, and the david irving trial by richard j. The classic explanation of the craft of history and the vital worth of historians to civilization.
Evans was regius professor of history at the university of cambridge from 2008 until his. In defence of history was first published in september 1997 and, like bernard cricks in defence of politics 1962, it took off. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Richard paul evans books list of books by author richard. Professor richard evans was principal expert witness for the defence. To materials that are frustratingly meager, or overwhelmingly profuse, they bring an array.
Richard evans defied their anger for daring to expose the threat that their fanatical deconstructionism posed to the rational study of history. He is the author of eighteen books, including his threevolume the third reich trilogy 20032008 that has been hailed as brilliant and magisterial. Evans, 9780393319590, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Feb 01, 2018 i read in defence of history by evans as a part of a project on the changing nature of historiography and it was thoroughly fascinating. E xp e rt r e p o rt b y p ro fe sso r r ich a rd e va n s. It provides an opportunity to compare the ways of the historian with those of my area of science. In 1758 evans and his brother, george, sold their property in bath and bought several tracts of land on the tar river in the part of beaufort that became pitt county in 1760. But i found in defence of history less good at theory. In particular, my book in defence of history, published by granta books in 1997, has attracted widespread praise. In defence of history kindle edition by evans, richard j download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This is just one of the solutions for you to be successful.
With fame comes recognition and credit for a job well done. Taking us into the historians workshop to show us just how good history gets written. It was from anthony julius, a solicitor best known for his work for diana, princess of. This website is designed for anybody to use who wants to find out more about my work as a historian. The items we may sell online for these products are books, paperback, hardback, audio cds or cassettes, large print, mp3 and whatever format is available for us to sell online. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading in defence of history. Evans i like his lectures but even then i have to question it. Jan 01, 1997 a great defence of history and a great defense of the truth somehow postmodernist theory has gotten into the main stream of academia. He graduated with a degree in english from the university of utah, and worked in the advertising business.
We are based in sydney, australia and ship all over the world. A hardhitting critiquein defense of history brings together fine essays that speak directly to the underlying assumptions of postmoderism and offer a stunning critique of its usefulness in both understanding and critiquing the current historical epoch. That statement is pretty typical of the tone of the book, a robust, earthy commonsense in which the. As well as substantial sales in the englishspeaking world, the book has been translated into german and korean, and editions will be appearing in the italian, japanese, portuguese, swedish and turkish languages. Nineteenthcentury germany and the origins of the third reich. Jun 11, 2002 since its first publication in 1961 e. Knighted in 2012 for his services to scholarship, he is the author of many prizewinning and bestselling books, including his acclaimed study of the third reich, whos. Lists that contain in defence of history by richard j. The classic explanation of the craft of history and the vital worth of historians to civilization in this volume, english historian richard evans offers a defence of the importance of his craft.
The importance of a conflict is determined not by its size or by the numbers of combatants involved but by its ripple effects and its influence upo. Sir richard john evans fba frsl frhists flsw born 29 september 1947 is a british historian of 19th and 20thcentury europe with a focus on germany. At a time of deep scepticism about our ability to learn anything from the past, even to recapture any serious sense of past cultures and ways of life, evans shows us why history is both possible and necessary. Evans s conclusion, called objectivity and its limits, is somewhat muddled and boils down to the idea that as long as the historian is scrupulous in his method all will be fine. In defence of history the classic explanation of the craft of history and the vital worth of historians to civilizationin this volume, english historian richard evans offers a defence of the importance of his craft. The westerndominated global order is being challenged by historys losers, in india as in brexit britain. Evans was born at woodford, essex, of welsh parentage and was educated at forest school, jesus college, oxford ma, and st antonys college, oxford dphil. Evans was awarded first place in storytelling world twice, a book award with american mothers, one with religion communicators councils wilbur award, gold award for romance with the german leserpreis, and best womens novel of the year with the romantic times. The christmas box originated as a story for his children that evans selfpublished. Evans is regius professor emeritus of history at cambridge university, and provost of gresham college in the city of london. It is difficult to imagine a stronger or more convincing case than evans s for the distinctiveness of historical knowledge as a mode of human thought. In defence of history aims to defend a mainstream notion of history writing against intellectual barbarians p. I suppose a more up to date version of carrs book would be in defence of history by richard j.