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The Uses and Abuses of History

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( 2,156 ratings, 288 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Uses and Abuses of History, Professor Margaret MacMillan explores how history is employed to shape identities, sustain power, and influence decision-making. She delves into the consequences of manipulating historical narratives and argues for a balanced, critical understanding of the past that can enrich our present and future perspectives. The book examines the diverse ways history is used and misused in political and cultural contexts.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you're curious about how history is interpreted and used in today's world. Delving into the ways history shapes our decisions and even justifies political movements, it offers a thought-provoking examination of history's role in society. Fans of historical analysis and those interested in understanding the practical implications of historical narratives will find it enlightening.

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The Uses and Abuses of History

If misrepresented, the past can cause confusion, conflict and tragedy. With care, it can help us to understand the present. Award-winning historian Margaret MacMillan proves that history really does matter.

'MacMillan has written illuminatingly on topics as diverse as the 1919 Paris peace conference and Nixon in China. Perhaps more unusually she is also a gifted writer, and her account of the various uses of history is wonderfully accessible. Her message - that we cannot help invoking the past when we try to shape the future, but should use it with due caution and humility - is a salutary one for politicians' John Gray

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The past is capricious enough to support every stance—no matter how questionable. In 2002, the Bush administration decided that dealing with Saddam Hussein was like appeasing Hitler or Mussolini, and promptly invaded Iraq. Were they wrong to look to history for guidance? No; their mistake was to exaggerate one of its lessons while suppressing others of equal importance.

History is often hijacked through suppression, manipulation, and, sometimes, even outright deception. The Uses and Abuses of History by Professor Margaret MacMillan is packed full of examples of the abuses of history. In response, she urges us to treat the past with care and respect.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Uses and Abuses of History by Professor Margaret MacMillan is celebrated for its insightful exploration of how history is utilised and manipulated. It's praised as essential reading for history enthusiasts, noted for being both wise and timely, and for making history itself the most compelling argument. The book is described as a quick, refreshing read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846682100

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 April 2010

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 150g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Margaret MacMillan is the author of Women of the Raj and international bestsellers Nixon in China and Peacemakers: The Paris Conference 1919 and Its Attempt to End the War. The past provost of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, she is now the warden of St. Antony's College at Oxford University.

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