Historians'' Autobiographies As Historiographical Inquiry - A Global Perspective

"This Element analyses the autobiographies of historians from a global perspective and looks at all eras, from antiquity to the present day. Discussion includes twenty autobiographies: Lucian of Samosata's memories in antiquity; Vico's, Gibbon's and Adams' intellectual self-accounting in modernity; autobiographical revelations and social activism of twentieth-century women historians such as Steedman, Conway and Gerda Lerner; classical Chinese and Islamic traditions through the autobiographies of Sima Quian and Ibn Khaldun; the perplexities inherent in the modernisation of Japan (Fukuzama Yukichi), China (Gu Jiegang), India (Nirad Chaudhuri) and Egypt (Taha Hussein); and traumatic postcolonial experiences in Africa (Bethwell Ogot), Latin America (Carlos Eire) and Southeast Asia (Wang Gungwu). This Element proposes a literary and historical approach to these autobiographies, emphasising its historiographical dimension and value"--

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Ancient politics; 2. Medieval narratives; 3. Western rationalities; 4. Colonisation perplexities; 5. Gender perspectives; 6. Postcolonial and postmodern identities; Conclusions.

Summary

This Element examines 20 global historians' autobiographies, focusing on their memories, intellectual self-accounting, social activism, classical Chinese and Islamic traditions, modernization, and post-colonial experiences. It offers a literary and historical approach, emphasizing the historiographical dimension and value of these autobiographies.

Foreword

This Element studies historians' autobiographies from a global perspective, containing gender, postcolonial, and trauma experiences.

Product details

• Authors: Jaume Aurell, Jaume (Universidad De Navarra Aurell, Jaume (University of Navarra) Aurell, Aurell Jaume
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.03.2025
• EAN: 9781009539418
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0953941-8
• No. of pages: 84
• Series: Elements in Historical Theory and Practice
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; HISTORY / Historiography, Autobiography: historical, political & military, Historiography, Literary studies: post-colonial literature, Autobiography: historical, political and military, Literary studies: postcolonial literature