The Landscape of History by John Lewis Gaddis

According Lewis, history is only the way people, represent it and such representation that gives forth a wide view. One key piece of evidence that the author uses to support his case is that humans can only portray the past as distant or near landscape 2. The author’s argument in this chapter is that the past plays a vital role in the transmission of skills and idea from one generation to another hence keeping history alive in the community 1. The subject of this chapter is that the past is something that humans can never have back or regain. The title of the first chapter is ‘Landscape of History’. The following is a detailed summary of each chapter of this book. Hence the author asserts that humans cannot overlook the significance of the past in shaping their present and future. As such Lewis argues that the past can be used by social scientists to test and derive abstract universal laws. He thus depicts the Historian’s Craft as a process that requires several points of view to understand history effectively. The author points out that knowledge of history is crucial in providing the most reliable means of transmitting acquired ideas and skills from one generation to the next. Lewis asserts in his book that the past can be explored to get lessons that are helpful in guiding humans in their interactions and actions. 2 ‘The Landscape of History’ by ‘Lewis Gaddis’ is a book that explores the manner in which historians map the past.

The Landscape of History by John Lewis Gaddis