Description
Book SynopsisIn this collection of engaging and readable essays, Stefan Collini shows how much can be gained from bringing a rigorous historical perspective to some of the most contentious issues in contemporary culture. Whether he is asking what it means to inhabit and possess a `national past'', or reflecting on the role of the historian as social critic, whether he is scrutinizing the claims of Cultural Studies or challenging the assumptions about academic research whether he is pondering the future of literary biography or reassessing some of the leading minds in modern British culture, Collini writes with a rare blend of sympathy, sharpness, and wit. Explicitly addressed to the `non-specialist'', these essays attempt to make some of the fruits of detailed scholarly research in various fields available to a wider audience. The book will interest (and delight) readers interested in history, literature, and contemporary cultural debate.
Trade Reviewfresh and topical. At his best - and these essays show him at his best - Collini is one of the sharpest observers and most mordant critics in English academic life. * Felipe Fernandesz-Armesto, Weekend Review, The Independent *
Table of ContentsPART I: HISTORIES ; PART II: MINDS ; PART III: ARGUMENTS
