Practicing History: Selected EssaysCelebrated for bringing a personal touch to history in her Pulitzer Prize–winning epic The Guns of August and other classic books, Barbara W. Tuchman reflects on world events and the historian’s craft in these perceptive, essential essays. From thoughtful pieces on the historian’s role to striking insights into America’s past and present to trenchant observations on the international scene, Barbara W. Tuchman looks at history in a unique way and draws lessons from what she sees. Spanning more than four decades of writing in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Harper’s, The Nation, and The Saturday Evening Post, Tuchman weighs in on a range of eclectic topics, from Israel and Mao Tse-tung to a Freudian reading of Woodrow Wilson. This is a splendid body of work, the story of a lifetime spent “practicing history.” Praise for Practicing History “Persuades and enthralls . . . I can think of no better primer for the nonexpert who wishes to learn history.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Provocative, consistent, and beautifully readable, an event not to be missed by history buffs.”—Baltimore Sun “A delight to read.”—The New York Times Book Review |
Contents
3 | |
25 | |
The Historian as Artist | 45 |
Problems in Writing the Biography of General Stilwell | 65 |
Biography as a Prism of History | 80 |
A Clinical Note | 93 |
The Final Solution 1 18 | 118 |
Land of Unlimited Impossibilities | 123 |
Ambassador Morgenthaus Story | 208 |
SelfPortrait | 218 |
Mankinds Better Moments | 227 |
LEARNING FROM HISTORY | 245 |
Vietnam | 256 |
Historical Clues to Present Discontents | 267 |
Generalship | 276 |
Why PolicyMakers Do Not Listen | 287 |
Woodrow Wilson on Freuds Couch | 146 |
How We Entered World War I | 158 |
Israels Swift Sword | 173 |
If Mao Had Come to Washington | 188 |
Watergate and the Presidency 2 94 | 294 |
DEFUSING THE PRESIDENCY | 301 |
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