Deconstructing History

Few historians now maintain that they write "the" truth about the past. Deconstructive readings of history and sources have changed the entire discipline of history. This text examines history in the postmodern age and provides an introduction to the debates and issues of postmodernist history.

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In Deconstructing History, Alun Munslow examines history in the postmodern age. He provides an introduction to the debates and issues of postmodernist history. He also surveys the latest research into the relationship between the past, history and historical practice as well as forwarding his own challenging theories.


The book discusses issues of both empiricist and deconstruction positions and considers the arguments of major proponents of both stances, and includes:




an examination of the character of historical evidence
exploration of the role of historians
discussion of the failure of traditional historical methods
chapters on Hayden White and Michel Foucault
an evaluation of the importance of historical narrative
an up to date, comprehensive bibliography
an extensive and helpful glossary of difficult key terms.


Deconstructing History maps the philosophical field, outlines the controversies involved and assesses the merits of the deconstructionist position. He argues that instead of beginning with the past history begin with its representation by historians.