Georg Iggers Book order

So far histories of historiography have concentrated almost exclusively on the West. This is the first book to offer a history of modern historiography from a global perspective. Tracing the transformation of historical writings over the past two and half centuries, the book portrays the transformation of historical writings under the effect of professionalization, which served as a model not only for Western but also for much of non-Western historical studies. At the same time it critically examines the reactions in post-modern and post-colonial thought to established conceptions of scientific historiography. A main theme of the book is how historians in the non-Western world not only adopted or adapted Western ideas, but also explored different approaches rooted in their own cultures.

A broad perspective on historical thought and writing, with a new epilogue.

The book delves into the evolution of historical thought and historiography, focusing on the transition from classical approaches to modern methodologies influenced by social sciences after World War II. Iggers highlights the impact of postmodernism in the last two decades, prompting historians to reassess their relationship with historical subjects and the notion of objective history. He argues that contemporary historiography has become a hybrid, embracing microhistory and cultural history while maintaining a commitment to capturing reality and a logical inquiry process.

Even before the revolution in 1989, East German historians had moved away from purely Marxist conceptions of economic and social conflict and started to explore methods and approaches ranging from empirical, sociological and demographic analysis to the study of mentalities and popular culture akin to those pursued in the West, thus initiating an active dialogue between historians in East and West. This volume presents important contributions by some of the leading East German social historians in English.