Thursday, October 4, 2012

Munslow reviews Kalela, "Making History"

From Reviews in History, we have a review of Making History: The Historian and the Uses of the Past (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), by Jorma Kalela. Here's a snippet, from reviewer Alun Munslow (Staffordshire University):
Making History argues that historians have damagingly dissociated the discipline of history from the everyday nature of history, defining their work only in scholarly terms. Exploring the relationship between history and society, Kalela makes the case for a more participatory historical research culture, in which historians take account of their role in society and the ways in which history-making as a basic social practice is present in their work. Making History not only asks provocative questions about the role of the historian, it also provides practical guidance for students and historians on planning research projects with greater public impact. This book is vital reading for all historians, lay and professional, and will be an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on historiography and research methods’.
Read on here.

Those interested in the topic may also wish to check out this interview with James M. Banner, Jr., author of  Being a Historian: An Introduction to the Professional World of History (Cambridge University Press, 2012). 

Hat tip: bookforum