Annalists and historians. Western historiography from the eighth to the eighteenth century

DENYS HAY, Annalists and historians. Western historiography from the eighth to the eighteenth century, London, Methuen, 1977, 8vo, pp. viii, 215, £2.95 (paperback). For very nearly forty years the distinguished Professor of Medieval History in the University of Edinburgh has planned to write a history of European historiography. He now does so with a brilliant survey, ranging from the historians of Greece and Rome to those of the late eighteenth century. As he points out, there is a great need for such a book and it will no doubt receive a warm reception and wide audience. As a continuation, we now need an account of nineteenthand twentieth-century historiography, including the appearance of specialist craftsmen, such as historians of science and medicine.