A "supremely entertaining" (The New Yorker) exploration of who gets
to record the world's history--from Julius Caesar to William Shakespeare
to Ken Burns--and how their biases influence our understanding about the
past.
There are many stories we can spin about previous ages, but which
accounts get told? And by whom? Is there even such a thing as
"objective" history? In this "witty, wise, and elegant" (The
Spectator), book, Richard Cohen reveals how professional historians and
other equally significant witnesses, such as the writers of the Bible,
novelists, and political propagandists, influence what becomes the
accepted record. Cohen argues, for example, that some historians are
practitioners of "Bad History" and twist reality to glorify themselves
or their country.
"Scholarly, lively, quotable, up-to-date, and fun" (Hilary Mantel,
author of the bestselling Thomas Cromwell trilogy), Making History
investigates the published works and private utterances of our greatest
chroniclers to discover the agendas that informed their--and our--views
of the world. From the origins of history writing, when such an activity
itself seemed revolutionary, through to television and the digital age,
Cohen brings captivating figures to vivid light, from Thucydides and
Tacitus to Voltaire and Gibbon, Winston Churchill and Henry Louis Gates.
Rich in complex truths and surprising anecdotes, the result is a
revealing exploration of both the aims and art of history-making, one
that will lead us to rethink how we learn about our past and about
ourselves.
