Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-277) and index.

"It Hath No Relish of Salvation in It": American historical writing at the end of the twentieth century -- Deeper into the wilderness: history takes the linguistic turn -- A people blinded from birth: American history according to the Left -- Doubts and dispossessions: feminist history in the 1990s -- After looking into the abyss: the promise of professionalism -- Return of the moral imagination -- A choice of inheritance -- Dream of a common history -- Love and objectivity.

American historical writing has traditionally been one of our primary forms of moral reflection. However, David Harlan argues that in the disillusionment following the 1960s, history abandoned its redemptive potential and took up the methodology of the social sciences. In this provocative new book, Harlan describes the reasons for this turn to objectivity and professionalism, explains why it failed, and examines the emergence of a New Traditionalism in American historical writing. Part One, "The Legacy of the Sixties," describes the impact of literary theory in the 1970s and beyond.

Description based on print version record.