Writing History in the Global Era

By: Lynn Hunt

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

Leading historian Lynn Hunt rethinks why history matters in today’s global world and how it should be written. George Orwell wrote that "history is written by the winners." Even if that seems a bit too cut-and-dried, we can say that history is always written from a viewpoint but that viewpoints change, sometimes radically. The history of workers, women, and minorities challenged the once-unquestioned dominance of the tales of great leaders and military victories. Then, cultural studies - including feminism and queer studies - brought fresh perspectives, but those too have run their course. With globalization emerging as a major economic, cultural, and political force, Lynn Hunt examines whether it can reinvigorate the telling of history. She hopes that scholars from East and West can collaborate in new ways and write wider-ranging works. At the same time, Hunt argues that we could better understand the effects of globalization in the past if we knew more about how individuals felt about the changes they were experiencing. She proposes a sweeping reevaluation of individuals’ active role and their place in society as the keys to understanding the way people and ideas interact. She also reveals how surprising new perspectives on society and the self - from environmental history, the history of human-animal interactions, and even neuroscience - offer promising new ways of thinking about the meaning and purpose of history in our time.

©2014 Lynn Hunt (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Enunciation Appreciation!

To start with, in contrast to a review on this Audiable story, the performer did a great job with their narration. In particular the enunciation. I personally do not play educational Audiable books at x1.0 speed. The words were clear and defined even at x2.80 speed. Once again, it's an educational book, I do not know what kind of artistic voice overs others may come to expect. It's a study of history, not Shakespear. The narrator even did a flawless job at transitioning the pronunciation of seemingly endless French names. As to be expected with any Lynn Hunt book.

As for the story itself, it was well above and beyond my expectations. Personally the final chapter, at minimum helped me craft an idea for a project of which I must present by the end of the semester. Audio, kindle or physical this book is a must read for any student or persons in academia for a fresh breath of thought delivered by Lynn Hunt.

Engaging analysis of historiographical trends and the question of globalization

As "global studies" becomes an increasingly common framework for history education at both the secondary and college level (including entire departments of Global Studies on some campuses), Lynn Hunt offers a timely consideration of the relevance of globalization for historians, reviewing key paradigms and also looking forward in an engaging way.

I tried the kindle, paperback, and Audible versions. All were useful, though I wish the Audible performance by Suzanne Toren did not sound so aloof and self-satisfied -- it seemed like an impersonation of a professor from a century ago (few contemporary academics actually sound like that, and if they do, it's annoying), so it distracted the listener from the book's content.