A pioneer in its field that has become a key text of current historiography, this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. Engaging and challenging, it confronts us with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China.A book for anyone interested in history, what it is and where it comes from.Use and Abuse of History has become a key text of current historiography; this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. Engaging and challenging, this book confronts the reader with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China.This title has now been extensively revised by Marc Ferro, a well respected historian, and presents the different narratives that constitute the histories of countries as diverse as India, Iran, Trinidad and the United States makes for fascinating reading in their own right. What makes this book so valuable, though, is what these narratives tell us about the societies which create them " how much is history distorted in order to condition the minds of those who are taught it?Use and Abuse of History appeals to anyone with a general interested in history.'Marc Ferro is remarkable in writing history enjoyed both by scholars and by people curious about the world in which they live and its past.' - Natalie Zemon Davis'Part of the necessary function of history is that, in advancing understanding of the past, it challenges and deflates myths, while at the same time explaining their origins and significance. This is conclusively demonstrated in Marc Ferro's study of the way in which history is taught around the world.' - Arthur Marwick, author of The New Nature of HistoryEngaging and challenging, this extensively revised key text of current historiography confronts the 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China.For anyone interested in history, what it is and where it comes from. This book examines the way history is taught to children and considers the different narratives that constitute the histories of countries as diverse as India, Iran, Trinidad and the United States.This is a book for anyone interested in history, what it is and where it comes from. Engaging and challenging, it confronts us with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world.This is a book for anyone interested in history, what it is and where it comes from. Engaging and challenging, it confronts us with the many "histories" that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China. A pioneer in its field that has become a key text of contemporary historiography, this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history.This is a book for anyone interested in history, what it is and where it comes from. Engaging and challenging, it confronts us with the many "histories" that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China.The Use and Abuse ofHistorytakes as its starting point the way history is taught to children. The different narratives that constitute the histories of countries as diverse as India, Iran, Trinidad and the United States make for fascinating reading in their own right. What makes this book so valuable, though, is what these narratives tell us about the societies which created them - how much is history distorted in order to condition the minds of those who are taught it? A pioneer in its field that has become a key text of contemporary historiography, this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history.
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