History of Histories
A book review in the New Republic. While I am sure the book is no doubt good, the review is itself educational and puts western perspectives on history into perspective. The extended section on comparing and contrasting Herodotus with Thucydides (the first two that are generally credited with being historians) is fascinating. From Herodotus' "storytelling" to Thucydides' clinical dispassion, each helped create a style that we see over and over again as we review the events of yesterday.
Though in the end the review is negative in the sense that it claims the author does not live up to his intentions, this is the kind of book that probably should be looked at from a distance. Take what its worth and leave behind the unnecessary. If I ever get through my backlog of books, this seems a worthy effort.
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