The Uses and Abuses of History
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by Margaret MacMillan
Penguin Canada, Toronto, 2008
208 pp., $30 hardcover
Did you ever wonder whether politicians really know their history when they make “historic” announcements? Margaret MacMillan, one of Canada’s most respected historians, asked herself that question, and then she decided to take politicians to task for the “uses and abuses of history” they have committed.
In her latest book, MacMillan brings her hard-hitting approach to bear on leaders from Canada and around the world. Inspired by George W. Bush’s meanderings through history, The Uses and Abuses of History debunks some of the most prominent “facts” used to justify government actions and reactions.
For MacMillan, historians bear some of the blame. When their work is not intelligible, politicians and others can “get away with misusing or abusing history for their own ends because the rest of us do not know enough to challenge them.”
The Uses and Abuses of History makes a passionate case for professional historians and for the integrity of their craft. Their work is needed more than ever in an age obsessed with history but without historical memory.
— Joel Ralph (Read bio)
Joel Ralph is the director of programs for Canada's History Society.