“…historical-mindedness…”

                     —say what?

Book review:

A Preface to History

by Carl G. Gustavson

New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1955

222 pages

A Preface to History was expressly designed for college freshmen in the post-WWII context of ingenuous idealism about getting a good liberal arts education in college.

Gustavson’s approach is much less than satisfactory. His advice to students is straightforward and somewhat naively businesslike in the sense that the student is encouraged to be “historical-minded.” From his preface: “It would seem to be in the interests of the [historian’s] profession to stress the elements of the historical approach itself, which is basic in many courses besides history proper and which is an ingredient of the liberal arts mind.” Indeed.

Seven characteristics of historical-mindedness are carefully mentioned by Gustavson—including “A natural curiosity as to what underlies the surface appearances of any historical event,” and “The historian knows that each situation and event is unique.”

Indeed.

Notably, the word “historiography” is not in the index of A Preface to History.

A serious and well-informed student of history probably will not conclude that A Preface to History is essential for her continued learning.

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Book review. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2018 All rights reserved.

Book review: The House by the Sea

May Sarton’s travels, in her mind…

click here

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