What Was History?: The Art of History in Early Modern Europe

In What Was History?, Anthony Grafton examines how Early Modern European scholars approached and wrote about history between 1400-1700 CE. Through case studies of key historians and theorists, he traces the development of historical methodology during this period of evolving academic standards and intellectual change. The book focuses on specific figures like Jean Bodin, François Baudouin, and Francesco Patrizi, documenting their attempts to transform historical writing into a more systematic discipline. Grafton explores their debates about proper historical methods, the role of critical analysis, and the relationship between history and other fields of study. The analysis moves between macro developments in historical practice and micro-level examinations of individual scholars' work and lives. Grafton draws extensively from primary sources to reconstruct how these early historians read, researched, and composed their works. This study reveals broader patterns in how Early Modern intellectuals constructed knowledge and understood their relationship to the past. The questions they wrestled with about objectivity, evidence, and historical truth continue to resonate in historical scholarship today.

Readers view this as a detailed examination of how early modern historians approached their craft. The book follows how historical writing methods evolved during the 16th-18th centuries. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanations of complex historiographical concepts - Focus on lesser-known historical figures and texts - Thorough research and extensive citations - Insights into how history was practiced before modern methods Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Assumes significant background knowledge - Limited scope focuses mainly on Western European sources - Some sections become repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (21 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (6 ratings) One reviewer noted: "Grafton excels at showing how early modern historians grappled with questions of truth and method that still concern us today." Another mentioned: "The writing is sophisticated but rewards careful reading with valuable insights into historical thinking."

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🔹 Anthony Grafton analyzed over 160 books on historical method written between 1400 and 1800 to create this work, revealing how Renaissance and Early Modern scholars developed the foundations of modern historical writing. 🔹 The book explores how Jean Bodin, a 16th-century French philosopher, revolutionized historical study by introducing the concept of comparing multiple sources and considering environmental influences on historical events. 🔹 During the period covered in the book, many historians began treating history as a practical guide for rulers and politicians, creating a genre called "civil prudence" that connected past events to present governance. 🔹 Grafton demonstrates how Early Modern historians developed sophisticated methods for detecting forged documents and false claims, laying the groundwork for modern source criticism. 🔹 The author, Anthony Grafton, is considered one of the world's leading scholars on Renaissance humanism and has won multiple awards, including the Balzan Prize for History of the Humanities and the Mellon Foundation's Distinguished Achievement Award.