Revisionist Histories

Taking a broad definition of what history is, Revisionist Histories looks not only at the written word, but also at websites, wall murals, graffiti and graphic novels. In doing so, it acknowledges the role of consumers of history in creating their own revisionisms. Drawing on a vast amount of material, author Marnie Hughes-Warrington not only offers an accessible guide to revisionism and its history but also puts forward a new, more spatial vision of historiography.

Revision and revisionism are generally seen as standard parts of historical practice, yet they are underexplored within the growing literature on historiography. In this accessibly written volume, Marnie Hughes-Warrington discusses this paucity of work on revision in history theory and raises ethical questions about linear models and spatial metaphors that have been used to explain it.

Revisionist Histories emphasises the role of the authors and audiences of histories alike as the writers and rewriters of history. Through study of digital environments, graphic novels and reader annotated texts, this book shows that the ‘sides’ of history cannot be disentangled from one another, and that they are subject to flux and even destruction over time.

Incorporating diverse and controversial case studies, including the French Revolution, Holocaust Denial and European settlers’ contact with Native Americans and Indigenous Australians, Revisionist Histories offers both a detailed account of the development of revisionism and a new, more spatial vision of historiography. An essential text for students of historiography.