Bernard Bailyn History Sometimes an Art Essentially a Craft

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· 62 ratings · 16 reviews

Start your review of Sometimes an Art: Nine Essays on History

Had Bernard Bailyn written nothing other than his 1968, Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, his space in the firmament would have been secure. That 1968 volume was most influential to me in all my grad school reading. Thus, I came to Sometimes an Art: Nine Essays on History with elevated expectations. So it is perhaps unfair to say that this 2015 effort was a bit of a disappointment. Sometimes an Art is a miscellaneous digest of Bailyn's essays and addresses over the years. There re Had Bernard Bailyn written nothing other than his 1968, Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, his space in the firmament would have been secure. That 1968 volume was most influential to me in all my grad school reading. Thus, I came to Sometimes an Art: Nine Essays on History with elevated expectations. So it is perhaps unfair to say that this 2015 effort was a bit of a disappointment. Sometimes an Art is a miscellaneous digest of Bailyn's essays and addresses over the years. There really isn't any common thread amongst the essays and they are not the mature reflections on the craft of the historian. Still, some are very good. Not surprisingly, Bailyn is at his best on his home turf – topics related to the revolution. The best essays, for me, were "The Losers" and "Thomas Hutchinson in Context." Both of which treat the loyalist position, ideologically. The final essay in the book, "The Search for Perfection," an address delivered to the British Academy, is, if not exactly pointless, at least rambling and inconclusive. The essay, "Context in History" is timely & relevant. Bailyn notes: "The first problematic consequence of succeeding in contextualizing history is essentially moral. To explain contextually is, implicitly at least, to excuse." (p. 38) Full disclosure: I'm a committed contextualist. The historian's job is to explain. It is not to judge. However, when it comes to deciding who in the past to honor, then judgement is warranted. But I digress. All-in-all, one can't go wrong reading anything by Bailyn. He is a most esteemed historian for good reason. It's only the subtitle of the book that caused me to expect more than this book delivered. ...more

Feb 27, 2015 Phil LeDuc rated it it was amazing

A collection of essays by one of the great historians of our time. The second essay, "Context in History", should be required reading by every history student - required reading, in fact, for anyone who attempts to relate the present to the past, or apply our current-day values, beliefs, morality, and ways of thinking to the past. In Bailyn's words, "It is one of the central problems in the contemporary practice of history ... It is the problem of recovering the contexts in which events take pla A collection of essays by one of the great historians of our time. The second essay, "Context in History", should be required reading by every history student - required reading, in fact, for anyone who attempts to relate the present to the past, or apply our current-day values, beliefs, morality, and ways of thinking to the past. In Bailyn's words, "It is one of the central problems in the contemporary practice of history ... It is the problem of recovering the contexts in which events take place: the settings, the unspoken assumptions, the perceptual universes of the participants which shape the meaning of events for those who experience them. The past is a different world, and we seek to understand it as it actually was."
Other essays cover topics such as the Loyalists (Tories) in the American Revolutions ("The Losers"); another look at the pre-Revolution governor of Massachusetts who became a Loyalist, and whose biography Bailyn wrote years ago ("Thomas Hutchinson in Context"); and an examinstion of the peopling of North America and other areas of the British Empire ("Peopling the Peripheries" and "England's Cultural Provinces").
All in all, a wonderful sampling by a master historian. ...more

Apr 22, 2017 Jeanne rated it liked it

Sometimes an Art: Nine Essays on The British Empire (and One or Two on General History) would be a more accurate title.

Essays on the British Empire (and subsequently Colonial America) isn't a bad thing per say, but when you promote a book as essays on general history I expect essays on, you know, general history that isn't extremely western-centric or in this case, British-centric. The author, of course, specializes in that area so it really shouldn't be that surprising to see his bias showing

Sometimes an Art: Nine Essays on The British Empire (and One or Two on General History) would be a more accurate title.

A word of warning as well: this author really likes to talk and will go on unrelated tangents through the essays to the point where you can't remember what he was originally talking about.

If I had known ahead of time that the majority of these essays would be centered around or use the British Empire as an example, I might have rated this higher. They were, after all, interesting to read. I'm just bitter about this false promotion.

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A wonderful compilation of essays with important reminders and reflections for any serious student of history. The essays in the first half of the book focus on the study of history itself, while the second half is more content-based, examining Bailyn's specialty, transatlantic history in the 17th and 18th centuries.

As a high school history teacher, I was hoping some of these essays might be useful for my students. As it turns out I don't think entire essays would be accessible to many high sch

As a high school history teacher, I was hoping some of these essays might be useful for my students. As it turns out I don't think entire essays would be accessible to many high school students, but I may use passages that focus on the importance of context and not allowing hindsight to cloud our understanding of past worlds. These essays certainly left me thinking about how I approach history, and I am confident that they will do the same for my students.

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Jan 23, 2015 Sharon rated it it was amazing

A readable, yet informative, selection of essays. I connected with his observations on history as a craft, sometimes an art. Bernard Bailyn is a profound historian, and his works are well worth reading.

Jun 17, 2018 Jeremy rated it really liked it

A collection of essays by an eminent American historian covering various aspects of historiography, mainly for North America. Very interesting. He also discusses the Australian colonial settler experience, contrasting it to the American one. I think he is on less solid ground when he does this as he appears to be drawing a rather long bow with some of his observations and impressions. Still, it made me sit up and think, which is always a good thing.

Jul 15, 2017 Jim Westwood rated it it was amazing

It's no wonder that Bernard Bailyn has mentored some of the finest historians of the American Revolution (Gordon Wood, Pauline Maier, others). His knowledge seems boundless; his writing is deep and readable. This book is Bailyn at full stride, giving a serious amateur in the field thrills and chills again and again. An intellectual feast. It's no wonder that Bernard Bailyn has mentored some of the finest historians of the American Revolution (Gordon Wood, Pauline Maier, others). His knowledge seems boundless; his writing is deep and readable. This book is Bailyn at full stride, giving a serious amateur in the field thrills and chills again and again. An intellectual feast. ...more

While there were many individual bits here that I liked - and I very often like books as a whole merely for being composed of individual interesting bits - I find myself utterly unable to summon feelings about this work as a whole, an inability that surely reflects at least as poorly on me as on this collection.

Neither recommended nor un-recommended.

May 22, 2017 Douglas Lee rated it it was amazing

This is an excellent book on the nature of history. Bailyn is a clear and graceful writer, even where the subject matter is specifically academic. He also uses telling detail in explaining his subjects. Highly recommended

May 28, 2017 Don rated it it was ok

After thoroughly enjoying collections of essays by historians Eric Foner and Gordon Wood, it made sense to give a read to this one by the venerable Bernard Bailyn.

Problem is, this has little of the relevance and readability that make Foner's and Wood's work so wonderfully thought provoking.

After thoroughly enjoying collections of essays by historians Eric Foner and Gordon Wood, it made sense to give a read to this one by the venerable Bernard Bailyn.

Problem is, this has little of the relevance and readability that make Foner's and Wood's work so wonderfully thought provoking.

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Bailyn is just a wonderful writer, and for anyone interested in history as a craft as well as a subject for study, this book is a rewarding read.

Nov 04, 2015 Barbara Heisey rated it really liked it

Bernard Bailyn brought out this valedictory collection of his essays over the span of career to clarify some points in current confusion and to make a quiet mark. Every essay is elegant, useful, purposeful, and a careful distillation of major concerns: that history is a craft, a practice, not a science, and not wholly an art; we benefit from a contextual sense of the past; moralism is an awful historical practice. As said before, a spirited and useful rejoinder to the faddish in academic culture Bernard Bailyn brought out this valedictory collection of his essays over the span of career to clarify some points in current confusion and to make a quiet mark. Every essay is elegant, useful, purposeful, and a careful distillation of major concerns: that history is a craft, a practice, not a science, and not wholly an art; we benefit from a contextual sense of the past; moralism is an awful historical practice. As said before, a spirited and useful rejoinder to the faddish in academic culture just now. ...more

Apr 11, 2015 Emily rated it really liked it

Exceptionally written, this collection of essays by Bernard Bailyn is as impressive as it is deep. I found these writings to be a challenge as a layman history reader. Highly academic and pointing out creative comparisons conversely geographically opposite and like in time that parallel in their growth as developing countries. Thought provoking and at times over my realm of understanding I enjoyed the publication and I'm glad I read it. Exceptionally written, this collection of essays by Bernard Bailyn is as impressive as it is deep. I found these writings to be a challenge as a layman history reader. Highly academic and pointing out creative comparisons conversely geographically opposite and like in time that parallel in their growth as developing countries. Thought provoking and at times over my realm of understanding I enjoyed the publication and I'm glad I read it. ...more

Feb 22, 2015 Mmetevelis rated it really liked it

Bailyn is a great historian who writes with clear and often entertaining prose. These essays communicate his deep love of his subject through occasional writings from throughout his career. Essay #5 on the historiography of the loyalists is fascinating, as well as his essay comparing the intellectual fecundity of the American founding and the Scottish enlightenment. An excellent introduction to the work of a great historian.

Mar 03, 2015 Martin rated it really liked it

Bailyn is a master of his field. These nine essays on the writing and the understanding of history are loaded with insights and Bailyn's unique prose. Bailyn is a master of his field. These nine essays on the writing and the understanding of history are loaded with insights and Bailyn's unique prose. ...more

Bernard Bailyn is an American historian, author, and professor specializing in U.S. Colonial and Revolutionary-era History. He has been a professor at Harvard since 1953. Bailyn has won the Pulitzer Prize for History twice (in 1968 and 1987). In 1998 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected him for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the Bernard Bailyn is an American historian, author, and professor specializing in U.S. Colonial and Revolutionary-era History. He has been a professor at Harvard since 1953. Bailyn has won the Pulitzer Prize for History twice (in 1968 and 1987). In 1998 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected him for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities. ...more

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