History of the 20th Century: From Scientific Objectivity to the Challenge of Postmodernism

Author: (USA) Georg Iggers
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The author examines the profound changes in the thought about history and the nature of historiography in this book, as well as the development of the fundamental principles that have served as its foundation since the emergence of professional history in the 19th century. It describes how new social science disciplines have transformed history after World War II, particularly the significant challenges posed to historiography by postmodernist thought in the past two decades. The book concludes that contemporary historiography is moving away from classic, macro-level forms toward microhistory, cultural history, and the history of everyday life. This is a revised edition, which includes a postscript titled "Retrospection in the Early 21st Century," examining the progress from postmodernism to new social science approaches, with particular attention to cultural factors and global issues. The book has been translated into ten languages and published in multiple countries.