Michael (harpermd) (188 books)

Michael rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe
by Patrick J. Geary

read in October, 2010

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Patrick Geary’s Myth of Nations endeavors to prove that the national definitions of European nations are inaccurate due to the fluid nature of early European people groups. Further he hopes to establish these definitions as political and racial in o...more Patrick Geary’s Myth of Nations endeavors to prove that the national definitions of European nations are inaccurate due to the fluid nature of early European people groups. Further he hopes to establish these definitions as political and racial in origin while shining a light on the role of historians in crafting this inaccurate narrative from the past. This misinterpretation of the past, Geary postulates, has been co-opted by nationalistic movements, which have “summoned millions of people into the streets and sent millions more to their graves.” (Geary, 13) In light of this, Geary intends to present an overview of a new understanding of European people while exposing the roots of modern ethnic nationalism.
To this end, Geary spends the first chapter of the book exploring ethnic nationalism in modern day Europe. He presents a Europe full of “imagined communities”; nations created by a psychological and mental phenomena, rather than an actual ethnic tie to the past. This first chapter sets the stage for chapters two through five. Geary sets out to explore the origins of the categories Europeans have defined themselves with, specifically by demonstrating the fluid people groups of Europe from the 5th century B.C.E up through Late Antiquity. He then moves on to examine the development of nations through the Middle Ages. Finally the sixth chapter plays clean up with a comparison of the development of the Zulu national history to the development of Europe’s. Geary lays out his book in this manner to explain how political nationalism is a recent phenomena; an idea that would have rung hollow for communities in the past.1 He pays special attention to the role of historians in the development of this.
Primarily, Geary concerns himself with the work of contemporary historians or older ancient and medieval texts such as Herodotus. Geary rarely cites the nineteenth century historians he is critiquing, instead touching on them broadly. This is fine since he is primarily concerned with the effects of these histories instead of their specific contents. His most extensive exploration of a specific history is A.T. Bryant’s Olden Times in Zululand and Natal in the concluding chapter.
With the exception of the ancient Greco-Roman texts, Geary looks to European texts, an implication of Geary’s interest in Eurocentrism in history. Geary looks at Europeanist historians as the primary causers of the nationalistic school of history stating that they have validated the attempts of military commanders “by constructing a continuous linear story of the peoples of Europe.” (Geary, 157) This touches on an important theme throughout Geary’s book; the duty of the historian. Geary implies the work of a historian should not be to develop a master narrative, but instead to understand the fluid nature of social units and the political nature of primary sources.
Geary handles sources well and his overall theme has interesting implications for historians. Unfortunately, Geary draws a lot of criticism from his obvious ideological bent. His blatant approach could alienate some historians who would certainly feel implicated by Geary’s thesis. However, Geary doesn’t intend his history to be popular and is well resigned to it being a bitter pill. “Historians have a duty to speak out, even if they are certain to be ignored.” (Geary, 14) Geary makes an excellent case for the fluidity of European people groups and provides a better approach to understanding primary sources. Problems arise in the book mostly when the breadth of Geary’s brush becomes obvious. As Geary admits, this book is intended for general audiences and thus lacks a degree of scholastic rigor. Hundreds of years fly by in the course of two sentences. Further, Geary’s targeting of historians as primary actors in ethnic nationalism is a little dubious. This idea could easily be reversed showing historians as individuals influenced by the zeitgeist of ethnic nationalism permeating their time. Still, that doesn’t excuse the role of historians in nation myth building and Geary provides the tool set he believes will steer historians away from this in a comprehensive and coherent fashion. There are certainly lessons students of history can take from Geary.(less)

Michael is 60% done with A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
by George R.R. Martin

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Zoo City
by Lauren Beukes (Goodreads Author)

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Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Almost Free: A Story about Family and Race in Antebellum Virginia
by Eva Sheppard Wolf

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Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars

A Visit from the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan (Goodreads Author)

read in July, 2012

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Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars

When Affirmative Action Was White by Ira Katznelson

When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America
by Ira Katznelson

read in May, 2012

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Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Great Los Angeles Swindle by Jules Tygiel

The Great Los Angeles Swindle: Oil, Stocks, and Scandal During the Roaring Twenties
by Jules Tygiel

read in May, 2012

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Michael rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men by Eric Foner

Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War with a New Introductory Essay
by Eric Foner

read in April, 2012

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Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America
by Ira Berlin

read in April, 2012

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Michael rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe by Patrick J. Geary read in October, 2010	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Patrick Geary’s Myth of Nations endeavors to prove that the national definitions of European nations are inaccurate due to the fluid nature of early European people groups. Further he hopes to establish these definitions as political and racial in o...more
May 06, 2013 07:32pm · see review
Michael is 60% done with A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2013 12:25am · like · see status
Michael is currently reading Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 10, 2012 02:40pm
Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars Almost Free: A Story about Family and Race in Antebellum Virginia by Eva Sheppard Wolf	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 26, 2012 09:14am
Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Goodreads Author) read in July, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 10, 2012 06:26pm
Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson read in May, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 03, 2012 11:37pm
Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Great Los Angeles Swindle: Oil, Stocks, and Scandal During the Roaring Twenties by Jules Tygiel read in May, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 01, 2012 07:37am
Michael voted on a poll For people who own both a iPad and another ereader (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Sony/etc), which do you prefer reading on? He voted for: eReader (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Sony/etc)
Apr 22, 2012 02:51pm · like · take the poll
Michael rated a book 3 of 5 stars Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War with a New Introductory Essay by Eric Foner read in April, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 18, 2012 10:49pm
Michael rated a book 4 of 5 stars Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America by Ira Berlin read in April, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 18, 2012 10:48pm

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