Vital Past

by Stephen Vaughn

Book Overview

The importance of history and its relevance to the present have seldom gone unquestioned in modern times. This is particularly true in the United States, born as the quintessentially modern nation,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0820307548
• ISBN13: 9780820307541
• Release Date: August 1985
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Selections in modern historiography

This is an excellent book not only for the professional historian, but also for those just beginning to explore the field. Some articles, such as Becker's "Everyman his own historian," or Gustavson's "A most dangerous product: history," may help students understand the importance of history, beyond the standard reason: for knowing our past mistakes. Other articles examine the growth of the field, and its professionalzation. Most importantly, though, the essays in "The Vital Past examine how we have viewed our history in the past, why change in the field of history occurred over time, and most importantly, provides a spectrum of answers to the question of which method of conducting history is the best.