Review: ‘History: why it matters’ ~ Lynn Hunt

We justify our actions in the present through our understanding of the past. But we live in a time when politicians lie brazenly about historical facts and meddle with the content of history books, while media differ wildly in their reporting of the same event. Frequently, new discoveries force us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the past.

So how can any certainty about history be established, and why does it matter? Lynn Hunt shows why the search for truth about the past, as a continuous process of discovery, is vital for our societies. History has an essential role to play in ensuring honest presentation of evidence. In this way, it can foster humility about our present-day concerns, a critical attitude toward chauvinism, and an openness to other peoples and cultures. History, Hunt argues, is our best defence against tyranny.

Author: Lynn Hunt

Publisher: Polity

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This was the first book I read in 2020 and surprisingly it is non-fiction! I truly started the New Year and decade doing things a little differently. With that being said, this review is nearly half a year late due to a little bit of fear on my part. But with multiple signs to suck it up, be brave and just write it to put it out there it is finally being uploaded onto my little blog.

The story behind the book [basically how this book walked into my life]. I happened to (unintentionally) come by this book because of my brother. I had come back from my final term of university [FOREVER {for now}] and he had been on a school trip somewhere and they were given some freebies, this book happened to be one of them. Why they gifted 15 year olds this book, I simply don’t know. But as someone who loves and has a deep appreciation for the subject I happily took it off his hands and into my loving care. I’ll be honest, I didn’t read it straight away. I read it quite a few months after actually which was down to the fact that I had finished three gruelling years of a reading intensive subject so I honestly wasn’t in the mind frame that was inclined towards reading any non-fiction works if I could help it. My heart was crying out for a fiction binge, and that is exactly what I gave it in those following months before I finally read this book.

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Enough of the backstory. Time for the “review”! (Sorry in advance, I’m going to be a little passionate for a little). DISCLAIMER: Unless in quotation marks, the words that follow are my interpretation of what I read in the book mixed with my personal opinion and knowledge from studying Ancient History and Archaeology at degree level. To know the original, do go read the original work in order to have a more informed understanding of her work.

I love this book and honestly believe everyone should read it. This book details the reason why I wanted to study the subject, why I continue believe it is important, and even better is the fact she mentions ancient history in the mix! She opens it up with a base fundamental that people often forget about history. Historical “truths” and “facts” are in constant flux, much like life is constantly changing and evolving. What this means is that what we perceive to be definitive facts and truths are constantly changing as they are dependent on the best available evidence as is also the case with science. And as with science, what is considered a ‘reliable’ source is also up for debate. If we look at the colonial settings in which much history of the west is spoken/written from, it shows that the perspective of “facts” are not a neutral and are subject to perspective. This means that dependant on which side of the event you are viewing from what is considered fact can look different due to the differing experiences of the same event, a fact very much prevalent when talking about colonial contexts. History is often written, and many times, manipulated for the benefit of those writing it or commissioning it to be written. And it is also because of this very subjective nature of history that fabricated facts sometimes die hard (p. 34).

Perhaps one of the factors that sometimes makes fabricated facts die hard is the way in which history is presented. Hunt states history as being a “literary art that uses scientific techniques where relevant but whose fundamental aim is to tell a true story” (p. 37). She is effectively saying that history relies upon a narrative form in order to convey its message. As a lover of fiction, my favourite being fantasy, I know that well written narrative can convince a reader to believe in the unreal so how much more so when it is about what happened in actuality? What stands out most from this statement is the part where she mentions that history sometimes employs scientific techniques in order to find the ‘truth’ which often those who are more scientifically inclined fail to realise. Though history as a discipline is considered an arts, it encompasses so more much than just the arts. It truly overspills into so many other disciplines it is unimaginable. Though she doesn’t mention this, this statement is even more so for archaeology and ancient history, where the boundaries of being an “arts” subject are completely ignored in order to discover the hidden mysteries of the past.

So history aims to present the “truth”, but where did this concept originate? Well, Hunt says that this certain objectivity is often seen as a western development to aim for truth, with colonial undertones. Historical techniques, however, did not start in the west. It is seen in Chinese traditions, long before history became a discipline in the west. Historians had such an intense desire to get the facts right that they rather faced death than give in to political pressures (example given on p. 48). The truthful aspiration predates western colonialism and imperialism and is rather an intrinsic aspect of the discipline so it seems (though often used to the advantage of those seeking it).

It is pointed out that there is a growing inclusion within the discipline of history, a key development in the global society we are currently living in. I, personally, find this very ironic being that historical practice originated within other ethnic cultures, yet in more recent times their histories were seen as lesser than or inferior to that of the dominating west. But back to the book. Historical recording began as a pursuit for and about the elite. It was a way in which elite members of society, often being rulers and such, to make known their accomplishments for generations to come. As I recently heard in a documentary which referred to the Egyptian pharaohs, it is a way in which their names will never be forgotten. Fortunately for the individual, such as myself and most probably you who are reading this, times have changed and so has the discipline. Having studied a history, I can confidently say that though there is more to know about rulers within the written records, much more effort is now being made within the discipline to find out more about the regular person, not just the rich and rulers, but the everyday. We may not be able to find out the exacts of individual people, but I am glad that there is an effort being made to have a better understanding of the majority that made the lives of the minority we see in the written records possible to be what they are. 

Hunt points out that those studying or interested in history develop an unfounded deep passion for places they have no links to (initially), but as you study, new webs of connections are knitted together. Personally, I now have an unfound attachement to the Parthenon temple in Athens and get overly angry at why it was destroyed after writing multiple essays that reference it. Ultimately we all partake in the same history. Living on one earth, it is inevitable that a connection between, what seems like separate histories, is made eventually. “The global is the local multiplied over and over” (p. 104). History will never be straight forward because of the multiplicity of its very nature even more so in a global context.

As history becomes more global, there is also the threat of it ‘modernising’ and forgetting previous studies.  In a world constantly looking for ways to move forward, Hunt notes there is a danger of neglecting past studies in favour of more recent histories. She says the key thing we learn from studying the past is a respect for the people who came before us. Wisdom is not altered with the development of technologies. It can be found in learning how people in the past confronted their own challenges. This reminds me of a speech I found on Instagram where Will Smith was saying he way of constantly moving forward was by running (not that relevant here hehe) and reading books so he could learn how other people overcame their own challenges in life so that he could learn for his future.

History is telling a story. And because we are telling a story, progress is made though not always leading to a definitive end. This being said, what is thought as the “end” often does influence how the story will be told since as humans we like things to be as clear as possible even when we know deep down that things generally never are.

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I also love that she puts in the references for further reading on the topic at the back with her own thoughts on the works which just adds to what I have previously said, this book is totally accessible.

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is worth of a human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?” Cicero[1]

I loved reading this book. It felt like I was being gently reminded why I did a degree in history when I was second guessing my decision as people kept on questioning if it would amount to anything. Simple, concise, hugely informative, and most importantly accessible. It is a great read.

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[1] Peter G. Bietenholz, Historia and Fabula: Myths and Legends in Historical Thought from Antiquity to the Modern Age (Leiden: Brill, 1994), p. 57.