The Current Assault on History

History for a country can be likened to memory for an individual. If one’s memory is vitiated by inaccurate imaginings of vainglory or of false recollections of wrongs suffered, the affected individual is likely to do much harm to himself. For one’s memory to be of best use to anyone, however placed, it becomes important not only that it is accurate, but also that it adequately covers the many aspects with which the individual happens to be most concerned. For a country, History, serving as national memory, must equally be accurate and truthful, and also comprehensive (in the sense used by the French historian Marc Bloch), aspiring to cover all aspects of human activity (and even thought).