30 Great Books That Made History - by Jaume Aurell

Book Synopsis

Today, many readers could easily list thirty classic authors, or thirty classic works of art, literature, music, philosophy, or science. But would they be able to name thirty classic works of history? In spite of history�s outsized influence in the world of ideas, the books that made - and-remade - the history we know so well are often forgotten.

In this panoramic book, distinguished historian Jaume Aurell sets out to introduce readers to a new canon of historical writing. Taking a global approach, he places the work of Herodotus, Thucydides, Gibbon, Michelet and Braudel alongside masterpieces from a myriad of periods and civilizations, from Sima Qian, Anna Komnene, al-Masudi and Fukuzawa Yukichi to Edmundo O'Gorman, C. L. R. James and Natalie Zemon Davis. At the same time, Aurell argues that we should not see these books as a definitive canon - instead, any canon should be seen as a list-in-progress to be contested and debated anew with each generation. It is only by being exposed to these diverse and deeply significant works that we can fully perceive the shape of the discipline, and carve out a new appreciation for the art of history writing.

Review Quotes

�Although certain works of history are often described as �classics�, Aurell is the first scholar to offer a serious discussion of the criteria for such a description. His book is indispensable.�
Peter Burke, University of Cambridge

�Jaume Aurell�s obviously subjective, but well-founded choice to present thirty works representative of all the world�s historical cultures is an excellent demonstration that historical writing feeds on its own memory: even if the questions posed to the past and the methods used to resolve them are evolving at a rapid pace, historians mustn�t be amnesiac!�
Jean-Claude Schmitt, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris

�Global in reach, spanning twenty-five centuries, Aurell�s incisive essays provide a brilliant introduction to the historian�s craft as well as to the philosophy of history. Blending narrative and analysis seamlessly, Aurell makes each of his thirty historians come alive.�
Carlos Eire, Yale University

About the Author

Jaume Aurell is Professor of Medieval History at the Department of History at the University of Navarra.