The book provides a synthesis of the development of the genre of national history writing in Europe. In particular it seeks to illuminate the relationship between history writing and the construction of national identities in modern Europe. Whilst it briefly considers pre-modern forms of national hi[...]

Writing History is designed to provide the necessary material for general courses in historiography, identifying in turn the evolution of 'traditional' approaches, the challenge of the 'linguistic turn', and contemporary perspectives that inform our current understandings.[...]

How did national histories in Europe come into being and which were most successful in underpinning national identities? Who constructed the narratives of 'the nation' and why were they accepted, rejected or contested? How did the discourse of 'the nation' integrate narratives of ethnicity, race, cl[...]