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The Purpose of the Past: Reflections on the Uses of History Paperback – January 27, 2009

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Gordon S. Wood (Author)
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4.3 out of 5 stars 23 customer reviews
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We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers' Vision of America by Juan Williams
"We the People" by Juan Williams
In a fascinating work of history told through a series of in depth profiles, prize-winning journalist, bestselling author, and Fox political analyst Juan Williams takes readers into the life and work of a new generation of American Founders. Learn more | See related books
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (January 27, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0143115049
  • ISBN-13: 978-0143115045
  • Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsGordon Wood on the Art of American History
By Ronald H. Clark VINE VOICE on May 21, 2008
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I found this to be just an extremely valuable collection of essays by Gordon S. Wood, one of our leading historians of the colonial and early national period (see his "The Creation of the American Republic" among other studies), consisting of 21 of his review essays. These essays originally appeared in the New York Review of Books, the New Republic, or the Atlantic between 1981-2007. The book's impact derives from several considerations. First, it is Wood who is writing the reviews, with tempered judgment (for the most part) and unimpeachable command of the material. Second, what Wood is up to is to illustrate trends or approaches in writing American history, as demonstrated in the various books under review.

Some of the approaches or "trends" that Wood discusses, sometimes quite critically, include influence in intellectual history; writing history from the perspective of "contemporary consciousness"; is there still a place for good narrative history?; is the "new historicism" correct that everything is relative?; can history be written as fiction (Schama's "Dead Certainties" the subject of review); microhistory; multicultural history; comparative history; postmodern history; history and myth; and "presentism." His authors include Gary Wills; Joyce Appleby; Elkin & McKitrick; Gary Nash; Jon Butler; Jill Lapore; Pauline Maier and many others. If Wood had written a straight substantive article on trends in history, the reader's eyes might become glazed over. But the device of introducing and discussing (and sometimes deconstructing) each approach within the framework of reviewing a book manifesting that approach, keeps things much more interesting and lively than one might expect. Wood also has included a useful introductory essay and an index. So the book is a fun way to learn an awful lot about the writing of American history in this country during the last quarter century or so.
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4.0 out of 5 starsA very worthy read
By Shane on May 4, 2008
Format: Hardcover
This book is a compilation of Gordon Wood's book reviews ranging from 1981 to 2007. They are arranged with chapter titles describing how each applies as a larger narrative on the contemporary state of the field of history. Examples of titles are "Microhistory" and "Anachronism in History".

The book is mostly a place for Wood to display his criticisms for postmodern historical methods. While it may seem like doing this by compiling book reviews is an odd way of doing so, the result is successful in displaying many of Wood's issues. Wood is a brutal reviewer, and there are no books that receive what could be considered "praise" while there are several that he handles ruthlessly. He is also a fairly accessible writer that any educated person should be able to understand, especially with these reviews which were written for general readers in the first place.

So what are Wood's specific views? The overall aura of this book is not necessarily that he despises all newer postmodern, multicultural ways of looking at history, but rather he is quite annoyed that they are completely taking over history. For instance, he is clearly frustrated that larger narratives are no longer accepted in the field of history, as everything has turned into microhistories. Microhistories are basically using individual stories of common people to help make inferences from the past. Wood is also frustrated with extreme multicultural history, which constantly distorts his beloved American Revolution topic that he has dedicated much of his life to. These are perhaps the most entertaining and well-argued reviews of the bunch. He seems to enjoy having a venue to bash the historians who have placed a huge meaning of the U.S. Constitution on its failure to free slaves.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsWood's uneasiness with modern historical theory
By Caleb N. Diffell on September 15, 2008
Format: Hardcover
Gordon Wood's _The Purpose of the Past_ is a collection of essays, actually book reviews, published over a period of 25 years. Wood has chosen from among his reviews those that relate specifically to the underlying theory and purpose (and possibility) of history research and writing. As such, the book is a good window into Wood's views on the current state of the discipline throughout the 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's. I would characterize the overall content and tone as Wood's uneasy relationship with the postmodern trend in historical writing that mirrors similar (but earlier) trends in other disciplines such as literary theory and architecture.

Wood's tone modulates throughout the three decades represented by these essays from rather sharp criticism of postmodern theories leaking into the historical disciplines to grudging acceptance of some of the supposed benefits of a multicultural, postmodern viewpoint of history. To his credit he remains a staunch antagonist to the most extreme ideas arising from postmodernism, particularly that all history is subjective and is essentially fiction because of the bias of the writer. Postmodernism identifies this concern and proceeds to fully embrace it, resulting in work that is indistinguishable from fiction, and boldly pronounces itself so. Wood is clearly unhappy with this trend and repeatedly defends the traditional historical methods designed to get as close as possible to, and treat as objectively as possible, past events. He recognizes it's impossible to be completely objective, but holds up objectivity as a goal to be striven for, rather than an antiquated artifact to be scorned.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great book. Gordon Wood is a master historian.

Published 5 months ago by Curran
4.0 out of 5 starsOne of the things to which he refers which I found troubling is the...

I found this a strange book, obviously written by a highly skilled and erudite historian of very high repute, which points out the many and varied ways of defining, writing and... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Kevin Wilks
5.0 out of 5 starsHistory Made Clear

Excellent read. This book fit into my tutoring youths and adults. I provide historical tours in a well-known cemetery and many history buffs and writers come to review those... Read more

Published 13 months ago by P B Illingworth
4.0 out of 5 starsIt's Gordon Wood

Gordon Wood on books that aren't written by Gordon Wood. He presents his critiques in short, readable reviews. Read more

Published on February 3, 2014 by Chris O'Malley
5.0 out of 5 starsDon't take history for granted

Gordon Wood doesn't mince words when he reviews a writer of history. If you thought you knew all about the Revolutionary War, you were wrong! Read more

Published on January 3, 2014 by Patricia W. Zimmerman
5.0 out of 5 starsFor all fans of history

For any actual, amateur, pseudo, or developing historian, a valuable guide to how history serves us best. Thanks for this gift from a master historian.

Published on February 23, 2013 by Garry B. Hutchinson
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Purpose of the Past

This book was purchased without any knowledge of the contents. I've read several of Woods' books and had yet to be disappointed. Read more

Published on July 13, 2012 by djwatkins487
2.0 out of 5 starsNot my type of book

I just finished reading 'Power, Faith, and Fantasy' by Michael Oren, and had thoroughly enjoyed it. The book reads like a novel. This book, however, reads like a textbook. Read more

Published on March 27, 2012 by Sahra Badou
4.0 out of 5 starssuch a cheerful critic

We are so much worse than the death of J. Edgar Hoover.

Let the person escape.

Folly became so special in the work of Barbara Tuchman that she called her 1984... Read more

Published on August 8, 2011 by hold on to nothing
4.0 out of 5 starsHistory and Reviewing

I always enjoy and learn from the writings of American historian Gordon Wood. After reading Wood's most recent books, his two-volume edition of John Adams' "Revolutionary Writings"... Read more

Published on May 28, 2011 by Robin Friedman

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