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Historical Consciousness: The Remembered Past (Contemporary Austrian Studies)

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While studying for a Master's degree in history in the 90s, I found John Lukacs "Historical Consciousness" one of two influential contemporary history books (the other being Ernst Breisach's "Historiography") that influenced my views on historiography - the study or view of history.

While I am a conservative Protestant and he is a conservative Roman Catholic, I found his view of historical consciousness or, perhaps rather, imagination - one of the truest written in contemporary times. This is perhaps, because he holds a Pauline or Augustinian view of human nature - which sees people in their true human condition, yet doesn't blanch at human inconsistency.

Added to that his observation that history is made up of so many elements in a person's and a people's collective history or memory, wherever they are from, and that it is important for a person to know his history, to help him move on in his own history. This text is useful for any developing historiography.

Against leading current trends that spend too much time spinning political spins, Lukacs' is the notion that history is personal.

No matter where a person is from - it is what they think and believe that defines their path. But, for him the pursuit of the historian is the pursuit of truth, as best can be achieved. The historian must understand his limited capacity, as only God holds the total story.

His ruthless pursuit of getting it right is similar to that of the late-George Orwell, yet in a different fashion (this will appear pedantic to some). This is also a good book for aspiring journalists, so they are wise enough not to burn out in a profession that has been defined, for too many years, by political cynicism.