ABSTRACT
Originally published in 1967, this book analyses the method by which historical evidence is built up and compares the nature of historical proof with that of other disciplines such as the law and natural sciences. It examines an extraordinary series of forgeries and distortions from the False Decretals to the biographies of Lytton Strachey, as well as discussing how an historical reputation such as that enjoyed by Judge Jefferies was created.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |12 pages
The Power of History
chapter |3 pages
What Shall be Called ‘History'?
chapter |9 pages
The Dangers of History and their Cure
part |27 pages
The Methods of History
chapter |6 pages
History and the Law Courts: Two Standards of Proof
chapter |13 pages
History and the Natural Sciences
chapter |8 pages
History and the Historian
part |88 pages
The Facts
chapter |15 pages
The Framework of Fact: Interpretations and Legends
chapter |6 pages
Observation and Inference: Direct and Indirect Evidence
chapter |20 pages
Documents Genuine and Spurious
chapter |43 pages
The Intermediaries
chapter |4 pages
The Scholarly Attitude
part |65 pages
Groups in History