French Historical Revolution: The Annales School, 1929-1989

Author: (English) Peter Burke
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This book is a critical history of the French Annales School, examining the development of this group of historical scholars over sixty years since the founding of the Annales journal in 1929. Without a doubt, the Annales School is the most influential historiographical movement of the 20th century. In the development of what is known as "new history," it was the most important driving force. The Annales group combined traditional historiography and geography with various social sciences such as economics, linguistics, psychology, and anthropology, expanding the field of historical study into a broad domain of human activity. They pioneered a series of new methods, such as problem-oriented history, comparative history, historical psychology, geographical history, long-term history, serial history, and historical anthropology, among others. Peter Burke distinguishes between three generations of scholars in the development of the Annales School. The first generation includes the founders Lucien Febvre and Marc Bloch, who challenged traditional historiography, founded the Annales journal, and encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration. The second generation was led by Fernand Braudel, who was hailed as one of the most outstanding historians of his time. The third generation includes contemporary renowned historians such as Michel Foucault, Roger Chartier, and Jacques Le Goff. Burke's analysis is meticulous and concise, providing a clear overview of the key classics and branches of the Annales movement.