Purpose of the Past

<b>An erudite scholar and an elegant writer Gordon S. Wood has won both numerous awards and a broad readership since the 1969 publication of his widely acclaimed <i>The Creation of the American Republic</i>.</b> <p/>With <i>The Purpose of the Past</i> Wood has essentially created a history of American history assessing the current state of the narrative vis-à-vis the work of some of its most important scholars--doling out praise and scorn with equal measure. <p/>In this wise passionate defense of history's ongoing necessity Wood argues that we cannot make intelligent decisions about the future without understanding our past offering a master's insight into what history--at its best--can be and its essential role in our culture.