The Unpredictable Past: Explorations in American Cultural History - Couverture rigide

Levine, Lawrence W.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0195082966 ISBN 13 : 9780195082968

Editeur : Oxford University Press Inc, 1993

Synopsis

"The future is certain," according to an old Soviet joke, "it is only the past that is unpredictable." But it is not solely in totalitarian societies that the past is contested terrain. Disagreements about the meaning and significance of past events and people have been part of the landscape in our own society from its inception. To the historian, therefore, the unpredictability of the past is no laughing matter. Indeed, so protracted have historical disputes become in recent years that there has been a growing conviction among many that the venerable craft of history is in a state of crisis. In this brilliant new collection of essays, Lawrence W. Levine, one of our premier writers of history and President-Elect of the Organization of American Historians, offers an incisive response to the controversy which rages in the academy today. This debate among historians does not concern, as one might think, conflicting interpretations of the past, but rather concentrates upon which past events, peoples, and cultures are significant enough to deserve our attention. Taking issue with those who desire "synthesis" above all else, Levine's book constitutes a passionate call for inclusion, a history that extends the traditional focus on the centers of political, economic, and social power to embrace the panoply of ethnic, racial, regional, occupational, class, and gender groups that have been ignored or distorted in the past, and subject areas--like folk and popular culture--that have been by-passed or denigrated as trivial. The fourteen essays included here seek not to erect new fences and shut more doors but to expand our knowledge, supplement our approaches, and broaden our historical vision. The Unpredictable Past offers eloquent discussions of American history and historiography at large, African-American culture, and, perhaps most fascinating, the times of the Great Depression during which film, radio, photography, and even the comic strip emerged as significant manifestations of a changing American popular culture. There are also trenchant examinations of folk songs and folktales, Marcus Garvey's role as a black leader in the 1920s, jazz and American culture, Hollywood's unique view of national government in Washington (especially as seen in the films of Frank Capra), even Shakespeare's role as the most popular playwright in nineteenth-century America. The immediacy of each essay is enhanced by the brief introductions that place each one not only in the context of Levine's career, but in that of American history as a whole. Through the course of the book, Levine demonstrates how history, from generation to generation, is viewed through the prism of an ever-changing present and rather than distorting our vision, offers us new ways of seeing things, fresh insights not only into the past, but into the present and the future as well. The Unpredictable Past is a remarkably wide-ranging lens for viewing the richly textured history of America.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Lawrence Levine is a major American historian, President-Elect of the Organization of American Historians, and author of one of the most significant books in both black history and cultural history, Black Culture and Black Consciousness (OUP/USA 1977). These fourteen essays, written over two decades, cover American history, historiography, aspects of black culture, and American popular culture (during the Great Depression). A number of them examine aspects of black culture that were dealt with from a different perspective in Black Culture and Black Consciousness. Some deal with such related topics as the transfer of African culture to America, Marcus Garvey as a black leader, the development of black culture in the 1920s, and the role of jazz in American culture. Several essays involve Levine's recent concern with American popular culture during the Great Depression of the 1930s, including such areas as film, radio, and photography. Altogether this is a collection of stimulating, original essays that continually offer fresh insights into the black experience and culture in general in America. The book should have appeal to college courses in black history, American culture, and American history from 1900 to 1945.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press Inc
• Date d'édition: 1993
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0195082966
• ISBN 13: 9780195082968
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 384
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Messaggerie Libri; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; Italie