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Who is the Historian?

by Nigel A Raab

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Robert said: " Raab, Nigel A. Who Is the Historian? North York, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2015.
Nigel Raab wrote this book based on the developments within the field of history and humanities specifically the contemporary approach of modern historians. This e Raab, Nigel A. Who Is the Historian? North York, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2015.
Nigel Raab wrote this book based on the developments within the field of history and humanities specifically the contemporary approach of modern historians. This exemplified by the transition of how historians and those studying humanities access information. Throughout the course of the book Nigel Raab there is the emphasis on the transition of physical study of history to a digital one and what that means for those who study history. Raab makes this text to fully encompass all those who study history and the many ways to study it. There is a conflagration of all aspects of the historian’s job and how it has changed. The writing touches on the idea that history has evolved from just writing down the stories of war, to become great archives online and offline that help catalogue all aspects of history. Raab brings up the concept that technology has widened amount of information at the disposal of a historian. With that he begins a debate that conflicts that whether that simplifies or complicates history. Then begins the analysis of how historians must be adaptable in their skill set so that way they may properly record and critique historical data. The Raab book introduces concepts that are very modernistic and are at the forefront of historiographical discussions. Yet there is the some lacking in the area of the negatives within each chapter and a stronger positive emphasis on digital history. This is an overall exemplary examination of the challenges and evolutions of the historian in the modern world.
Raab likes to point out the accessibility of archives in their physical form and how the surrounding environment such as economic status of the surrounding area and how natural disaster plays a role. This approach shows one of the first forms of historic study and how they have influenced the historian since archival emergence. There is a point however that states that a lot of these archives are overlooked such as the ones on music or are limited based on the country of origin such as in Russia (57). There is the bias that Raab emphasizes that based on what information available that a construed data may be present. This introduces answers to questions that are not normally asked when approaching an archive. He goes into detail of the importance of archives and how the vast well of information is available to historians. This well allows for historians to have access to a physical copy of information.
Raab does argue for the digital history based on the amount of negative aspects brought up during the opening chapter regarding archives. He favors the digital history databases based on the idea that history is so vast with so many different lenses that it is far more organized through the use of online. He does not explicitly state this but alludes to it by stating the vast number of sources that can be used to represent historic data. Then in the following chapter states how the digital age has revolutionize history with fairly few drawbacks. In an archive you need a space that can contain all of these documents where digitizing can keep it all organized and can have a collection of music, photos, art, and film. Raab then contradicts through his emphasis on archives previously because of how they can be specialized based on say music (15). He makes archival specialization seem unique way of historical collection but then in the next chapters states how the web does that very thing. This shows a slight inconsistency.
This book has a lot of trends that can be noted throughout which helps to make the book an easier read as it allows for the reader to track the pattern and therefore the tone. There are multiple microcosmic debates within his writings that fall under a much larger reasoning. One such example, is how historians must alter their means of study from Western and Eurocentric lens to a more global or universal form of study (91). The debate trend tends to appear multiple times in the text which shows the attempts to avoid a bias. Another trend is his comparison of arts within history as well as science. This helps to represent the diversity of history, but will also show how history falls under its own discipline yet be a mix of all disciplines. I have found through my studies that history is in everything and to understand the discipline that the history of it must be known whether art or science.
There is the age old discussion as to why history is important in society and is it a dying area of study? Raab does not overtly state that history is dying but simply examines how the viewpoints on history have changed since the avant garde approaches of Nietzsche(106). One thing of note made by Raab is Nietzsche was one of the last groundbreaking historians of the “modern” times thus far. Raab does not touch on the quiet role of historians in society that though the historical studies are not applied the skills and abilities of the discipline are. He often tries to not say whether history is dying or not but simply attempts to state there is a lack of modern historians which can be stemmed back to a lack of interest. He goes on to state that the modern society is built to science with big names like “Albert Einstein, whose last name has become an acceptable synonym for ‘brainy’” (106). The overall writings of Raab have proven to contain minor discrepancies, but represent a well written and concise historical analysis of the discipline as a whole.
Word Count: 952 ...more "

Sep 26, 2016 08:55AM · see review