On the other hand, the struggle to achieve complete objectivity also effects ways people have written history. It is only appropriate, then, that such considerations should inform your reading. The tone an author sets is often integral to the message he wishes to convey. The ironic tone of American historian C. Vann Woodward, for instance, was integral to his understanding of southern history. Historian Bernard Bailyn eschews irony in favor of a detached objectivity.
Authors choose the tone they wish to set depending on their personalities and objectives.
One does not simply go over the words and expect to understand the material. Unfortunately, history is rarely as easy to read as a novel. Return to top of page . This page adapted from Prof. Betty Dessants, who formulated the initial version of its text. Robert Berkhofer, 1999.