
From Athens to Auschwitz
The Uses of History
Christian Meier(Author)
Harvard University Press
Published on 30. April 2005
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-674-01692-7 (ISBN)
Description
What does history mean today? What is its relevance to the modern world? In contemplating fundamental questions about history and the Western legacy, the noted classical historian Christian Meier offers a new interpretation on how we view the world. Meier sees an "absence" of history in contemporary Europe and throughout the West - an absence he attributes to the way modern historians have written about history and, more important, to the dramatic transformations of the twentieth century. He argues for the central legacy of Western civilization. He tackles the difficulty of reconciling a historical perspective with our era of extreme acceleration, when experience is shaped less by inheritance and legacy than by the novelty of changes wrought by science and globalization. Finally, Meier contemplates the enormity of the Holocaust, which he sees as a test of "understanding" history. If it is part of the whole arc of the Western legacy, how do we fit it with the rest? This engaging and thought-provoking meditation challenges us to rethink the role of history in Western culture and a changing world.
Reviews / Votes
"A challenging, provocative, and timely book. It is a pleasure to observe this eminent ancient historian think through and struggle with the grand questions of European and Western history." - Michael E. Geyer, University of Chicago"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 165 mm
Weight
420 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-01692-7 (9780674016927)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Christian Meier is Professor of Ancient History, Emeritus, at the University of Munich, and the author of several books, including Athens: A Portrait of the City in Its Golden Age and Caesar: A Biography.