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Making History: The Storytellers Who Shaped the Past


Richard Cohen


MAKING HISTORY is an epic exploration of who writes about the past and how the biases of certain storytellers - whether Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare or Simon Schama - continue to influence our ideas about history (and about who we are) today.

In this authoritative and entertaining book, Richard Cohen reveals how professional historians and other equally significant witnesses (such as the writers of the Bible, major novelists, dramatists, journalists and political propagandists) influence what become the accepted records of human experience. Is there, he asks, even such a thing as 'objective' history? The depth of Cohen's inquiry and the delight he takes in his subjects includes the practitioners of what he calls 'Bad History,' those thieves of history who twist reality to glorify themselves and conceal their or their country's behaviour.

Cohen investigates the published works and private utterances of our greatest historical thinkers to discover the agendas that informed their views of the world, and which in so many ways have informed ours. From the origins of history-writing, when such an idea seemed itself revolutionary, through to television and the digital age, MAKING HISTORY abounds in captivating figures brought to vivid life, from Thucydides and Tacitus to Voltaire and Gibbon, from Winston Churchill to Mary Beard. Rich in character, complex truths and surprising anecdotes, the result is a unique exploration of both the aims and craft of history-making. It will lead us to think anew about our past and ourselves.

Richard Cohen is the former publishing director of Hutchinson and Hodder & Stoughton and the founder of Richard Cohen Books. Five times U.K. national saber champion, he was selected for the British Olympic fencing team in 1972, 1976, 1980, and 1984. Richard is the author of ”Chasing the Sun”, “By the Sword” and “How To Write Like Tolstoy”. He has written for the New York Times, the Guardian, the Observer, the Daily Telegraph, the New York Times Book Review and has appeared on BBC radio and television. Connect with Richard on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardCohenAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboutrichard

Category:  Biography & Memoirs
ISBN:  9781474615785
Publisher:  Orion Publishing
On sale:  April 2022
Format:  Paperback
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