What Is History by E H Carr

What Is History? is a book written by the British historian Edward Hallett Carr, first published in 1961. The book is a seminal work in the field of historiography, or the study of how history is written and interpreted.

The central theme of the book is the idea that history is a continuous dialogue between the present and the past. Carr argues that the historian is not an objective observer of the past, but is rather shaped by his or her own social, cultural, and political context. He also argues that the historian’s interpretation of the past is always influenced by the questions and concerns of the present.

Carr is critical of traditional approaches to history, which he views as being overly focused on the actions of great individuals and on political and military events. He argues that history should be seen as a broader social and cultural phenomenon, and that it should encompass the experiences of ordinary people and marginalized groups.

One of the key contributions of What Is History? is its critique of the idea of historical objectivity. Carr argues that there is no such thing as an objective account of the past, and that historians must always make subjective choices about what to include and what to leave out. He also argues that historical facts are always open to interpretation, and that the meaning of these facts is constantly being reinterpreted and revised by subsequent generations of historians.

Overall, What Is History? is a significant work in the field of historiography, and it has had a major influence on the way that historians think about the nature and purpose of their discipline. The book remains widely read and studied today, and it continues to generate debate and discussion about the role of history in contemporary society.