On the Teaching and Writing of History: Responses to a Series of Questions

These musings by historian Bailyn, a recipient of both a Pulitzer Prize (Voyagers to the West) and a National Book Award (The Ordeal of Thomas Hutchinson), are based on informal discussions he held as a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College. He thoughtfully remarks upon the validity of historical data that are now made available by computer technology, the creative differences among writing fiction, biography and history, and the importance of placing people and events within the contexts of their times. Bailyn also discusses the impacts of women's studies and current political ideologies on his field. His comments are informed by his passion for teaching history and by his belief that knowledge of the past is crucial to understanding the present. History Book Club alternate. (Apr.)