History as Literature: Writing the Premodern Past for a Postmodern Present

Catalog description

What role does history-writing play in our contemporary world? In what forms do we consume it? Is "popular" history significantly different from "scholarly" history? And if it is, should it be? In this course, students will debate these questions and more via a selection of history books--some of them classic exemplars of the field, others quite recent--about the premodern European past. All are written by recognized experts in the field. All advance novel ideas through careful examination of primary sources. And all have managed to reach audiences beyond just the specialized circles of the academic "ivory tower." Each week, students will analyze how these works of history present convincing interpretations of the past through compelling narrative and gripping prose. We will discuss their strategies for presenting primary source material and the methods by which they selectively translate the past in order to speak directly to the present. Along the way, they will consider what is at stake in the historian's craft and theorize what history-writing can and should contribute to the complex world of today.