30 Great Books That Made History

�Although certain works of history are often described as �classics�, Aurell is the first scholar to offer a serious discussion of the criteria for such a description. His book is indispensable.� Peter Burke, University of Cambridge �Jaume Aurell�s obviously subjective, but well-founded choice to present thirty works representative of all the world�s historical cultures is an excellent demonstration that historical writing feeds on its own memory: even if the questions posed to the past and the methods used to resolve them are evolving at a rapid pace, historians mustn�t be amnesiac!� Jean-Claude Schmitt, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris �Global in reach, spanning twenty-five centuries, Aurell�s incisive essays provide a brilliant introduction to the historian�s craft as well as to the philosophy of history. Blending narrative and analysis seamlessly, Aurell makes each of his thirty historians come alive.� Carlos Eire, Yale University