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Treating the practice of history not as an isolated pursuit but as an aspect of human society and an essential part of the culture of the West, John Burrow magnificently brings to life and explains the distinctive qualities found in the work of historians from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the present.

With a light step and graceful narrative, he gathers together over 2,500 years of the moments and decisions that have helped create Western identity. This unique approach is an incredible lens with which to view the past. Standing alone in its ambition, scale and fascination, Burrow's history of history is certain to stand the test of time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

I wish I had read this book in school!
I studied history at school, and then at university. Some periods I found fascinating; others left me completely cold (and bored). But it was also very frustrating, in my first year at uni, to be asked questions like "What do you think of Lewis Namier's work on 18th century politics?" or "Do you agree with the Whig interpretation of history?" - when I had never heard of either. Historiography is a more abstract subject than history itself; indeed, it is what we might nowadays call "metahistory" - the history of writing history. And that is what John Burrow has set out to explain in this excellent and (mostly) very readable book. I only wish it had existed, and someone had given it to me, in my last year at school!

If you read "A History of Histories" from cover to cover, you will probably learn a great deal (unless you are already an expert on the subject). Its subject matter can be divided into three main areas: an overview of great swathes of history itself; an account of many of the greatest historians since the time of the ancient Greeks; and a comparative study of the different ways of writing history, and the reasons for doing so. But these three topics are not treated consecutively, but intertwined together. For instance, in one of the earliest chapters we see how Thucydides - one of the greatest of historians - retold and analysed the events of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. For Thucydides, according to Burrow, "the chief quality to be sought in writing history is certainty"; yet he, like all the ancient historians, was perfectly happy to write down long speeches which were no doubt pieced together from memory or even largely made up.

Even though the systematic study of primary and secondary sources was not to become established practice until the 19th century, it has always been possible to adopt a more or less rigorous attitude to objective truth when writing history. Others, like many of the Roman historians - and especially the Christian writers who followed them - were more concerned to inculcate right thinking and virtuous behaviour, not scrupling to invent whatever episodes seemed most suitable for that purpose. And even in the 20th century, ideologically motivated scholars such as the Marxists were still using history to argue their own particular points of view.

For my money, the early parts of this book are the best. The sections on Greek and Roman historians are superb, and answered many longstanding questions for me. Then, with the advent of the Dark Ages, history dipped into a trough of religious admonition and fanciful invention - culminating in the entertainingly fictional chronicles of writers like Geoffrey of Monmouth. I found the author's account of Renaissance historiography (in the chapter "From Civic Chronicle to Humanist History") to be the most indigestible part of the book, although that may be due to the intrinsic difficulty of the subject. Inevitably, as more and more people started writing history in different ways and for different reasons, the story of historiography becomes progressively more complicated and opaque. Much to his credit, the author maintains an even pace and a consistent treatment right up to the 20th century.

perfect for those writing non-fiction or studying historiography
This book was suggested to me when I took a historiography class...it is a VERY thorough compendium of the various 'schools of thought' on the study and writing of history, as both an art and a science. Not for the unwashed masses....it's extremely in-depth and better suited for academics, students, researchers/writers or serious history geeks (like me).It is chock-full of fascinating insights for history lovers.

A rare book.
A rare book because it more than rewards the effort of reading. Like all great teachers, Burrow's affection for his subject and its practitioners shines through. His prose can be a little scholarly at times (terms such as "prolix" and "antinomian" can make even a fairly literate reader feel excluded) but that's just nit-picking. Also, the book is a history of *western* histories - not surprising given the author's background; you can only cast your net so wide. It is a breathtaking achievement - an easy, engaging read that makes you want to learn more.

An eccentric smorgasbord of delights
A History of Histories is an idiosyncratic work filled with a kaleidoscope of insights that derive from the author's broad education and lifetime of reading.At his best, Burrow seems like an animated tour guide pointing us to histories that we have never read and never will read: "Bet you've not thought about William Robertson.Well, let me tell you what's important about his History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V (1769).And then Carlyle--how about his peculiar and evocative prose style?"

What one should not expect of Burrow is a systematic study of great historians or western historiography.Everyone can choose his own favorite examples of imbalance.Ancient Greek historians get more space than the entire twentieth century.Geoffrey of Monmouth, the egregious medieval mythmaker, gets five and a half pages to Leopold von Ranke's three at best.Among Americans, William Hickling Prescott gets eight pages, Charles Beard a sentence and a half.

I also think Burrow has slighted the influence of the religion of the Bible in the development of western historiography.He postpones consideration of the Book itself until after all the ancients, although anyone guessing at the dates of composition for what Herbert Butterfield calls the "Court History of David" (I & II Samuel) would probably place it several centuries before Herodotus and would also probably, like Butterfield, credit it with "an amazing impartiality and independence."Then too, much of the praise bestowed on Enlightenment historians should, in my opinion, be attributed to the outworking of the Reformation.Likewise, nineteenth-century historicists reflect the soft glow of German pietism at their backs.

In the end, A History of Histories is still the finest piece of historigraphical literature written for the educated general reader in our generation.It's an eccentric smorgasbord of delights.If there are too many kinds of artichokes, there is still plenty of steak on the table.

Impressive
A History of Histories is an ambitious book that attempts to show the developments in the writing of history over the span of around 2,500 years. The author examines who some of these major historians were, what topics they considered worthy of recording, what their strengths and weaknesses were ,and lastly, how history became professionalized.

I found the first section of Burrow's book easier to follow since I have read some of the works of the ancient Greek and Roman historians detailed here. I wasn't as familiar with the works of the later historians, though I have heard of several of these figures. This part was a slower read as my knowledge of these historians and their works was not as strong. The author has an impressive knowledge of so many of these figures and their works.

The author does a good job in tracing the developments in the writing of history and who some of the representative historians from each major period were. Obviously it is also important to know a little about the world around them at their time and how that influenced their writings, which the author also touches on. Epics, chronicles, annals, universal histories, socioeconomic, cultural, political/diplomatic histories and the likes are all included in this broad overview. Indeed, the evolution in the writing of history becomes clear in this book. The author aptly concludes by stating this is a story that doesn't end. An erudite, but challenging read in places, at least for me. ... Read more

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Essential passages from the works of four "fathers of history"—Herodotus's History, Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's Anabasis, and Polybius's Histories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Leaves you wanting for more
Dont be confused by the relatively low ranking, this book is good. The only trouble is that it only contains fragments of the greatest historians ever. Though this is what the editor set out to do, you will feel cheated by not having the whole story to read.If all you want is a glimpse at what made the ancient historians so special, this is the book for you.However, chances are that you will want the complete story as well, something this collection cant offer. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1852.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Greek text with introduction and commentary ... Read more

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Understanding the history of Athens in the all important years of the second half of the fifth century BC is largely dependent on the legacy of the historian Thucydides. Historical studies tend to assess Thucydides' account as infallible. George Cawkwell challenges that received wisdom, advancing original and controversial views of Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian War; his misrepresentation of Alcibiades and Demosthenes; his relationship with Pericles; and his views on the Athenian Empire. Cawkwell's comprehensive and accessible analysis of Thucydides and his historical writings is persuasive, and is an immensely valuable addition to the scholarship and criticism of a rich and popular period of Greek history. ... Read more

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Wealth and power are themes that preoccupy much of Greek literature from Homer on, and this book unravels the significance of these subjects in one of the most famous pieces of narrative writing from classical antiquity. Lisa Kallet brilliantly reshapes our literary and historical understanding of Thucydides' account of the disastrous Sicilian expedition of 415Ð413 b.c., a pivotal event in the Peloponnesian War. She shows that the second half of Thucydides' History contains a damning critique of Athens and its leaders for becoming corrupted by money and for failing to appropriately use their financial strength on military power. Focusing especially on the narrative techniques Thucydides used to build his argument, Kallet gives a close examination of the subjects of wealth and power in this account of naval war and its aftermath and locates Thucydides' writings on these themes within a broad intellectual context.

Among other topics, Kallet discusses Thucydides' use of metaphor, his numerous intertextual references to Herodotus and Homer, and thematic links he makes among the topics of money, emotion, and sight. Overall, she shows that the subject of money constitutes a continuous thematic thread in books six through eight of the History. In addition, this book takes a fresh look at familiar epigraphic evidence. Kallet's ability to combine sophisticated literary analysis with a firm grasp of Attic inscriptions sheds new light on an important work of antiquity and provides a model example of how to unravel a dense historical text to reveal its underlying literary principles of construction. ... Read more

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“John Zumbrunnen's book offers an inventive and provocative analysis not only of Thucydides’ History but of the political issues such as democracy, empire, and realism that continue to engage scholars and policy makers alike. More than that, his argument from silence challenges virtually all the prevalent interpretations of Thucydides while incorporating a self-critical voice that anticipates what his critics might say about such an approach. The presence of this voice not only gives a richness to Zumbrunnen's reading of Thucydides, but it is itself Thucydidean in the sense of imitating the Historian's ‘method’ as that emerges in the architecture of the History.”—Peter Euben, Duke University

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As a sustained analysis of the connections between narrative structure and meaning in the History of the Peloponnesian War, Carolyn Dewald's study revolves around a curious aspect of Thucydides' work: the first ten years of the war's history are formed on principles quite different from those shaping the years that follow. Although aspects of this change in style have been recognized in previous scholarship, Dewald has rigorously analyzed how its various elements are structured, used, and related to each other. Her study argues that these changes in style and organization reflect how Thucydides' own understanding of the war changed over time. Throughout, however, the History's narrative structure bears witness to Thucydides' dialogic efforts to depict the complexities of rational choice and behavior on the part of the war's combatants, as well as his own authorial interest in accuracy of representation.
In her introduction and conclusion, Dewald explores some ways in which details of style and narrative structure are central to the larger theoretical issue of history's ability to meaningfully represent the past. She also surveys changes in historiography in the past quarter-century and considers how Thucydidean scholarship has reflected and responded to larger cultural trends. ... Read more

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The first part of the JACT Greek course is Reading Greek. It consists of two volumes, one of text and one of grammar, vocabulary and exercises and gives the student a thorough introduction to Attic Greek as well as to Herodotus and Homer. A World of Heroes and The Intellectual Revolution are designed to take students on from Reading Greek and to give them a graded introduction to six of Ancient Greece's most important authors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Quite worthwhile for the intermediate Greek reader
An excellent introduction to the works of some of the greatest Greek literature.Has a running vocabulary in conjunction with the JACT "Reading Greek" textbooks. ... Read more

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The History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, fought between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens). It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian general who served in the war. It is widely considered a classic and regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. ... Read more

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Plato's Cosmology: The Timaeus of Plato Translated with a Running Commentary and Thucydides Mythistoricus. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This volume on Thucydides, the most important historian of the ancient world, comprises articles by thirty leading international scholars.

The contributions cover a wide range of issues, including Thucydides' life, intellectual milieu and predecessors, Thucydides and the act of writing, his rhetoric, historical method and narrative techniques, narrative unity in the History, the speeches, Thucydides' reliability as a historian, and his legacy through the centuries. Other topics dealt with include warfare, religion, individuals, democracy and oligarchy, the invention of political science, Thucydides and Athens, Sparta, Macedonia/Thrace, Sicily/South Italy, Persia, and the Argives.

The volume aims to provide a survey of current trends in Thucydidean studies which will be of interest to all students of ancient history. ... Read more

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The struggle between Athens and Sparta lasted for over 20 years. Two completely different Greek states only one would emerge the victor. (Sparta is located on the Peloponnesian peninsula thus the name). “The History of the Peloponnesian War” was written by Thucydides, an Athenian general. Thucydides not only commanded part of the Athenian army during the war but was present at the many strategic planning sessions. The History of the Peloponnesian War t is widely considered a classic and regarded as one of the earliest truthful works of history.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Poorly formatted
I would recommend against buying this version of Thucydides because it is poorly formatted. There are newlines throughout the text that make it very difficult to read at any font size. There is another Kindle-formatted Thucydides (also the Richard Crawley translation) for $0.99 that I bought and was much happier with: The Peloponnesian War . ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more