Book Review of New Historiography: 1996~1997 (1996~1997)

Author: Joint Working Group of Seven Journals on Book Reviews in History
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: This is a selected collection of reviews on historical works, featuring outstanding contributions by scholars such as Yu Ying-shih and Liu Tsai-ho. It represents a series of intellectual dialogues between historians, grounded in both thought and material evidence. The evaluations of the books are highly fair and balanced. The discussions cover aspects such as social and foreign relations during the late Qing Dynasty, as well as the challenges faced by historical studies and explorations into historiographical methods—all expressed through a series of essays. Most of these papers are excerpted from authoritative journals on historical theory, making them convincing.
In contemporary historical documentaries, the phenomenon of fabricating false narratives has emerged. Xu Yan recently observed that with the prosperity of the publishing industry and the diversification of distribution channels, a large number of works with innovative styles, strong historical accuracy, and literary merit have been produced, especially in the popular genre of modern history, gaining widespread popularity among readers, particularly the youth. However, under the tide of commercial economy, the market has become flooded with both good and bad works, with some individuals in the literary world succumbing to the allure of materialism. They have churned out so-called "historical documentaries" labeled as "based on authentic sources," yet these works are riddled with falsehoods. These authors often disguise their creations as "exposing secrets" or "leaking inside stories," fabricating facts on major historical issues, leading many readers to accept these lies as truth, even spreading misinformation further. When confronted with factual criticism, some of these authors resort to absurd justifications like "fictionalization is justified in documentary writing" to defend their actions. Therefore, a "war against fake products" must also be waged in the production of spiritual goods to clarify ideological confusion, truly fulfill our responsibility to readers, and establish a healthy creative atmosphere.
Documentary literature cannot be a vehicle for fiction. Works of historical themes, including academic historical writings, literary documentaries, and historical novels, all share a common requirement: historical authenticity. Of course, there are differences among them. Academic historical writings emphasize logical reasoning, elevating rich historical phenomena into abstract concepts to provide enlightenment. Literary documentaries and historical novels, on the other hand, focus on figurative thinking, extracting representative scenes from historical events to present to readers, allowing them to understand the facts while being immersed in the real historical environment. In summary, both demand truth, but one seeks to enlighten through reason, while the other seeks to move through emotion. These are also the fundamental requirements of historical materialism for works of historical themes.
In various works documenting contemporary history, discrepancies in details of many events are common, and the authenticity of numerous historical sources needs to be verified. Therefore, it is not surprising to encounter some errors in the creative process. What we condemn is not the unintentional mistakes that arise from a sincere effort to be accurate, but rather the irresponsible behavior of those who, for profit, deliberately fabricate false historical narratives. Currently, such falsification is particularly evident in some so-called "documentaries" and "biographies of celebrities."