Histories of Nationalism in Ireland and Germany - by Shane Nagle (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Focusing on the era in which the modern idea of nationalism emerged as a way of establishing the preferred political, cultural, and social order for society, this book demonstrates that across different European societies the most important constituent of nationalism has been a specific understanding of the nation's historical past. Analysing Ireland and Germany, two largely unconnected societies in which the past was peculiarly contemporary in politics and where the meaning of the nation was highly contested, this volume examines how narratives of origins, religion, territory and race produced by historians who were central figures in the cultural and intellectual histories of both countries interacted; it also explores the similarities and differences between the interactions in these societies.

Histories of Nationalism in Ireland and Germany investigates whether we can speak of a particular common form of nationalism in Europe. The book draws attention to cultural and intellectual links between the Irish and the Germans during this period, and what this meant for how people in either society understood their national identity in a pivotal time for the development of the historical discipline in Europe. Contributing to a growing body of research on the 'transnationality' of nationalism, this new study of a hitherto-unexplored area will be of interest to historians of modern Germany and Ireland, comparative and transnational historians, and students and scholars of nationalism, as well as those interested in the relationship between biography and writing history.

Review Quotes

Nationalists insist that their nation is unique, a claim supported by national historians. Only detailed comparative history can undermine this claim. That is what Shane Nagle undertakes for Germany and Ireland, showing the similar ways in which historians of these two apparently very different nations wrote about such subjects as origins, confessional conflict, race and ethnicity. National historiography is a transnational project. In demonstrating this Nagle's study has a significance extending beyond the two particular cases it considers.
John Breuilly, Emeritus Professor of Nationalism and Ethnicity, London School of Economics, UK

Shane Nagle's contribution to this field is particularly insightful due to the originality and sharp focus of his study, which explores the close relationship between nationalism and history ... This thought-provoking study has much to tell us about the importance of historicism in shaping the nationalist worldview.
EuropeNow

This intriguing comparative study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how the mutual influence of two countries' nationalist historiographies (and, by extension, identities) shaped their respective development. Combining erudition with analytical insight, Nagle has found a compelling path of escape from the solipsistic trap of the national case study.
Aviel Roshwald, Professor of History, Georgetown University, USA

About the Author

Shane Nagle is an independent scholar who obtained his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.