ABSTRACT
As we noted in the Preface, marxism is not the only philosophy which unites politics and history-writing. In England, for example, one dominant historical strand has been conservative and nationalist. It is not the long march of labour which is celebrated, but moments of national unity under the leadership of heroes and (more rarely) heroines. It is a history of kings and queens, national saviours, great statesmen, leaders in peace or in war. Sometimes ordinary citizens are granted an appearance, duly heroic and unified. Variants on these themes, suited to the contemporary occasion, are a staple of many popular historiographical genres.
