Pattern and Repertoire in History

Bertrand M. Roehner; Tony Syme

Published by Harvard University Press 2002

Pattern and Repertoire in History

Bertrand M. Roehner and Tony Syme

https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674418479

Overview
Contents

About this book

Historical landmarks, such as wars, coups, and revolutions, seem to arise under unique conditions. Indeed, what seems to distinguish history from the natural and social sciences is its inability to be dissected or generalized in any meaningful way. Yet even complex and large-scale events like the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution can be broken down into their component parts, and, as Bertrand Roehner and Tony Syme show, these smaller modules are rarely unique to the events they collectively compose.

The aim of this book is to analyze clusters of similar "elementary" occurrences that serve as the building blocks of more global events. Making connections between seemingly unrelated case studies, Roehner and Syme apply scientific methodology to the analysis of history. Their book identifies the recurring patterns of behavior that shape the histories of different countries separated by vast stretches of time and space. Taking advantage of a broad wealth of historical evidence, the authors decipher what may be seen as a kind of genetic code of history.

Author information

Roehner Bertrand M. :

Bertrand M. Roehner is Professor, University of Paris.Syme Tony :

Tony Syme is Lecturer in Economic History, St. Anthony's College, University of Oxford.

Reviews

Roehner and Syme have written an original, idea-filled, illustration-rich analysis of causal sequences that repeat themselves in surprisingly different historical niches. Coming at history from the perspective of the natural sciences, they challenge both extremes: historical particularism, on the on side, and the search for general laws covering complex historical episodes, on the other…Good ideas, analogies, and illustrations come swirling and densely packed, leaving a lot of standard historical terrain littered with debris.

A superb book.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
CHAPTER 1. Analytical History: Where History and Sociology Meet Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
PART I. Revolutions
CHAPTER 2. European Variants of the French Revolution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	57
CHAPTER 3. Building Blocks of the French Revolution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	100
CHAPTER 4. The American Revolution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
CHAPTER 5. General Strikes, Mushroom Strikes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
PART II. Wars
CHAPTER 6. Wars for Territorial Expansion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	207
CHAPTER 7. The Constraints of Logistics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	300
PART III. Prospects
CHAPTER 8. Historical Forecasting Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	335
CHAPTER 9. Perspectives Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	364
REFERENCES. INDEX
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	381
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	407

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Edition: Reprint 2014
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Front matter: 12
- Main content: 413
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 45
- Tables: 79
- Other: 45 line illustrations; 17 maps, 79 tables
Keywords: Historiography.; History -- Methodology.; HISTORY / Historiography; HISTORY / World; HISTORY / Military / General

eBook

Published: October 1, 2013
ISBN: 9780674418479

Hardcover

Published: February 5, 2002
ISBN: 9780674418455

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Pattern and Repertoire in History