The Historian's Craft: Reflections on the Nature and Uses of History and the Techniques and Methods of Those Who Write It.

I bought this book on a recommendation from a professor of history. In these days of the STEM obsession in the US, training in "STEM" rigidity is seen more reliable than history. Having just written a book about complexity and business, I couldn't disagree more. Much which matters in the world — especially in business success — isn't found in STEM training. So I wanted to explore the discipline of historical work. Bloch is brilliant in his insights. And, his observations about how much STEM work (thought it wasn't called such in his time) is no more "absolute" than historical work.I highly recommend this work.

"The Historian's Craft" was recommended to me for a book discussion and I found it to be quite an enlightening read. I obtained a Bachelor's degree in History back in 2006, and not once was I suggested to read this little book by Bloch nor did I ever heard of his name. It really should have been an essential reading for all history major and for those who are serious about any fields of subject because it provides techniques of historical method.Marc Bloch lived in France when the Second World War occurred and during the war, he wrote this book about the use of history and the historical craft - but this work was not completed because he was shot and killed by the Gestapo on 16 June of 1944 for his involvement in the French Resistance. He was known for his work on French history and feudal societies to which I had little knowledge of. After reading his last book, I feel compelled to read the rest of his works."The Historian's Craft" is a strong influence in the field of historiography, though I wouldn't limit it to just history because the "craft" can be applied to other scientific fields. There are five chapters in this book and I can understand why it would be a little hard to read, but that didn't repel me from reading further. For those of us with a serious mind, this book provides a system of reasoning and criticism that would allow one to determine what is true and what is false. I most certainly felt that the "what is use of history" section is an important discussion and what really interested me was the chapters on criticisms and observations.This is a challenging book that gives one a much food for thoughts for any field of research. It's to be recommended.

Marc Bloch--veteran of World Wars I and II, historian, professor, writer, French patriot--entreats us in this spare volume to maintain our objectivity, to interpret history with the skepticism of the journalist and the scientific method of the researcher. He identifies some of the pitfalls, the improperly translated idiom, the anthropomorphism of time and place, and relying too heavily on the written accounts of earlier historians, as means by which the understanding of historical events can be skewed. And history must be viewed as a continuum, a rolling cause-and-effect leading from then until now and beyond, events which seldom fit easily into our need to categorize them by fixed dates. But then, historians already know these things, so of what value is "The Historian's Craft" today?There is a poignancy to this book that Marc Bloch may not have anticipated from his moment in time, but looking back toward the era in which he wrote, the reader can see "The Historian's Craft" as Bloch's attempt to instill order and sanity into the turbulent and almost inexplicably surreal fall of France during World War II. I interpret this book as his salve, his struggle to maintain objectivity during the madness he observed as the Nazis overwhelmed his country. Older than fifty now, having earned the right to a quiet life in academia but refusing to leave his beloved France, Block joined the Resistance, fought against the Nazis, was captured, tortured and killed. And so, "The Historian's Craft" becomes a record to help us interpret Marc Bloch's life and the era of occupied France, as well as lessons in craft from a learned man.Bloch wrote: ...a generation represents only a relatively short phase. Longer phases are called civilizations."

I strongly recommend this book to those who want to learn the art of history writing and the craft of history.

Marc Bloch aurait été un des meilleurs historiens du 20e siècle, mais la barbarie des nazis allemande a mis fin à sa vie. On peut oublier lescrimes atroces des Nazis, mais jamais les pardonner.

Bloch has always fascinated me through his ideas, surprisingly modern outlook and a visionary along with Febrve. I bought this to help understand different historical perspectives on what it is to study history, his multidisciplinary approach is something which has many contemporary examples. Glad I bought, it and really helps give you perspective to your study. I have always thought self critical reflection is essential to the discipline, which is something Bloch echoes. For such a short book it is incredibly illuminating, much recommended to history students interested in the more abstract, philosophical, and historiographic ideas of history. Going to read this alongside On History by Hobsbawm now.

This book demonstrates how history should be written, particularly when one considers the war conditions in which the author wrote.

the book is good