This book reveals the true version of the evolution of European ethnic groups from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages, covering more than two thousand years of history from ancient Greece to the 20th century in South Africa. Seemingly neutral and objective academic tools such as romantic political philosophy, "scientific" history, Indo-European literature, and ethnoarchaeology jointly created nationalist historiography that abused and misinterpreted history, providing a historical basis for the development of ethnic nationalism. In the book, Gerry not only examines the evolution of ethnic groups in late classical and early medieval Europe, but also explains the formation process of nationalist historiography from 1800 to 1900 and its disastrous impact. The author uses a broad academic vision and ingenious and profound arguments to show the public the complexity and variability of history.
Reader comments
This book reminded me of a friend of mine who was particularly interested in European history. Gerry's account is illuminating, revealing how nationalist historiography came to be and how it distorted history. The book's wide-ranging research, from ancient Greece to 20th-century South Africa, gave me a deeper understanding of the complexities of history. I think the author's point of view is very objective, and he allows me to see the multi-faceted nature of history. This is not only a book about the origins of the Middle Ages in Europe, but also a revelation about how we view history.
This book reminded me of a friend of mine who was particularly interested in European history. Gerry's account is illuminating, revealing how nationalist historiography came to be and how it distorted history. The book's wide-ranging research, from ancient Greece to 20th-century South Africa, gave me a deeper understanding of the complexities of history. I think the author's point of view is very objective, and he allows me to see the multi-faceted nature of history. This is not only a book about the origins of the Middle Ages in Europe, but also a revelation about how we view history.