Constructing the Past: Essays in Historical Methodology

by Jacques Le Goff (Editor), Pierre Nora (Editor), Colin Lucas (Introduction)

Overview

This 1985 book presents a selection of ten of the most significant contributions to Faire de l'histoire, a major three-volume exposition of the fresh state of French historiography first published in 1974. All the essays were commissioned from historians representing the best of the 'Annales' tradition, including Emmanuel le Roy Ladurie, François Furet and Georges Duby. The first five essays concentrate upon the physical world, and deal with some of the more familiar aspects of 'new history'; the second half of the book is concerned with the unconscious world of mentalités, the network of belief, symbol and cultural practice that is attracting the attention of historians in ever-increasing numbers. In an introduction Colin Lucas places the essays in this collection within the long-term development of French historical study, and assesses not only its great strengths but also some of the doubts and dilemmas to which it has given rise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521277822
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/29/1985
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction Colin Lucas; 1. Quantitative methods in history Francois Furet (translated by David Denby); 2. Economic history: past achievements and future prospects Pierre Chaunu (translated by Martin Thom); 3. Constructing Marxist history Pierre Vilar (translated by Ian Patterson); 4. The history of climate Emmanuel le Roy Laudrie (translated by David Denby); 5. Demography André Burguière (translated by David Denby); 6. Religion and religious anthropology Alphonse Dupront (translated by Martin Thom); 7. Ideologies in social history Georges Duby (translated by David Denby); 8. Mentalities: a history of ambiguities Jacques le Goff (translated by David Denby); 9. The festival in the French Revolution Mona Ozouf (translated by David Denby); 10. New approaches to the history of the book Roger Chartier and Daniel Roche (translated by David Denby); Index.