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Title details for Making History by Richard Cohen - Available

Making History

by Richard Cohen
Richard Cohen
Audiobook
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A "supremely entertaining" (The New Yorker) exploration of who gets to record the world's history—from Julius Caesar to William Shakespeare to Ken Burns—and how their biases influence our understanding about the past.
There are many stories we can spin about previous ages, but which accounts get told? And by whom? Is there even such a thing as "objective" history? In this "witty, wise, and elegant" (The Spectator), book, Richard Cohen reveals how professional historians and other equally significant witnesses, such as the writers of the Bible, novelists, and political propagandists, influence what becomes the accepted record. Cohen argues, for example, that some historians are practitioners of "Bad History" and twist reality to glorify themselves or their country.

"Scholarly, lively, quotable, up-to-date, and fun" (Hilary Mantel, author of the bestselling Thomas Cromwell trilogy), Making History investigates the published works and private utterances of our greatest chroniclers to discover the agendas that informed their—and our—views of the world. From the origins of history writing, when such an activity itself seemed revolutionary, through to television and the digital age, Cohen brings captivating figures to vivid light, from Thucydides and Tacitus to Voltaire and Gibbon, Winston Churchill and Henry Louis Gates. Rich in complex truths and surprising anecdotes, the result is a revealing exploration of both the aims and art of history-making, one that will lead us to rethink how we learn about our past and about ourselves.
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Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Edition: Unabridged

OverDrive Listen audiobook

  • ISBN: 9781797143996
  • File size: 753074 KB
  • Release date: April 19, 2022
  • Duration: 26:08:54

MP3 audiobook

  • ISBN: 9781797143996
  • File size: 753186 KB
  • Release date: April 19, 2022
  • Duration: 26:20:42
  • Number of parts: 29
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Formats

OverDrive Listen audiobook
MP3 audiobook

subjects

Biography & Autobiography History Nonfiction

Languages

English

A "supremely entertaining" (The New Yorker) exploration of who gets to record the world's history—from Julius Caesar to William Shakespeare to Ken Burns—and how their biases influence our understanding about the past.
There are many stories we can spin about previous ages, but which accounts get told? And by whom? Is there even such a thing as "objective" history? In this "witty, wise, and elegant" (The Spectator), book, Richard Cohen reveals how professional historians and other equally significant witnesses, such as the writers of the Bible, novelists, and political propagandists, influence what becomes the accepted record. Cohen argues, for example, that some historians are practitioners of "Bad History" and twist reality to glorify themselves or their country.

"Scholarly, lively, quotable, up-to-date, and fun" (Hilary Mantel, author of the bestselling Thomas Cromwell trilogy), Making History investigates the published works and private utterances of our greatest chroniclers to discover the agendas that informed their—and our—views of the world. From the origins of history writing, when such an activity itself seemed revolutionary, through to television and the digital age, Cohen brings captivating figures to vivid light, from Thucydides and Tacitus to Voltaire and Gibbon, Winston Churchill and Henry Louis Gates. Rich in complex truths and surprising anecdotes, the result is a revealing exploration of both the aims and art of history-making, one that will lead us to rethink how we learn about our past and about ourselves.
Expand title description text
Biography & Autobiography History Nonfiction