Sense of History: The Place of the Past in American Life - Glassberg, David

Clean, tight, unmarked; light crease to upper front edge; light wear to corners; otherwise spine straight and uncreased; very minimal wear; Glassberg surveys the shifting boundaries between the personal, public, and professional uses of the past and explores their place in the broader cultural landscape. Each chapter investigates a specific encounter between Americans and their history: the building of a pacifist war memorial in a rural MA town; the politics behind the creation of a new historical festival in San Francisco; the letters Ken Burns received in response to his film series on the Civil War; the differing perceptions among black and white residents as to what makes an urban neighborhood historic; and the efforts to identify certain places in CA as worthy of commemoration. Along the way, Glassberg reflects not only on how Americans understand and use the past, but also on the role of professional historians in that enterprise. 
Very Good
Soft cover
University of Massachusetts Press
2001
Amherst, MA