The Wiles Lectures Man on His Past

This book is an extended version of the Wiles lectures given at the Queen's University, Belfast, in 1954. It illustrates the rise, scope, methods and objectives of the history of historiography. The topics selected for discussion give a general outline of the modern historical movement from the mid-eighteenth century to the contribution of Lord Acton in the late nineteenth century. Significant landmarks in the history of historical scholarship are examined to illustrate the various kinds of treatment that can be given to the subject.