Name: Practicing History
ISBN: 9780345911018

Barbara Wertheim Tuchman

From thoughtful pieces on the historian's role to striking insights into America's past and present to trenchant observations on the international scene, Barbara W. Tuchman looks at history in a unique way and draws lessons from what she sees. Here is a splendid body of work, the story of a lifetime spent "practicing history."

Practicing History

Jeni Enjaian

I didn't know what to expect of this book when I started reading. I don't know much about Ms. Tuchman and her historical philosophy. After reading this book, I have very little doubt.
I liked the earlier essays, the ones on historiography. However, the overall coherence of the book degenerates after the first part. I kept expecting the anecdotes about various events in recent history to lead to explanations of how this affected her historical philosophy. I had no such luck. The final three or four essays actually made me laugh. Her political views (at least in my opinion) are pretty close to absurd and at several points conflict with her earlier stated historical philosophy.
My disappointment with the book boils down to one major point. The compilation of essays lacks coherence. Nothing connects the first essay to the last or any of the few in between.

Jacqueline Wilson

Barbara W. Tuchman

Celebrated for bringing a personal touch to history in her Pulitzer Prize–winning epic The Guns of August and other classic books, Barbara W. Tuchman reflects on world events and the historian’s craft in these perceptive, essential essays. From thoughtful pieces on the historian’s role to striking insights into America’s past and present to trenchant observations on the international scene, Barbara W. Tuchman looks at history in a unique way and draws lessons from what she sees. Spanning more than four decades of writing in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Harper’s, The Nation, and The Saturday Evening Post, Tuchman weighs in on a range of eclectic topics, from Israel and Mao Tse-tung to a Freudian reading of Woodrow Wilson. This is a splendid body of work, the story of a lifetime spent “practicing history.” Praise for Practicing History “Persuades and enthralls . . . I can think of no better primer for the nonexpert who wishes to learn history.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Provocative, consistent, and beautifully readable, an event not to be missed by history buffs.”—Baltimore Sun “A delight to read.”—The New York Times Book Review

Practicing History

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