Module Information

This module will introduce students to the ways historians have used political diaries and memoirs to support their interpretation of historical events since 1945. Focusing on Anglo-American examples, students will examine the `diary wars' of accounts and narratives which can be viewed as a competition for the historical record and an attempt to settle old scores. Seminars will explore questions relating to the `political' nature of diaries and memoirs: whether they were intended as a public account, judged to be un/reliable witnesses, are accurate contributions to the public record of events etc. Assignments will require students to identify and work with diaries and memoirs, exploring their account of events using the current historiography and other primary sources (notably the press) and, of course, comparing and contrasting `rival' accounts in other diaries and memoirs.

Given the lack of publicly available documentary sources, historians of contemporary politics view political diaries and memoirs, alongside other sources such as the press and oral history, as an invaluable source for research. Diaries and memoirs can contribute to research by establishing the detail of significant historical events. They have also been employed by historians to examine the political decision making process and the complex nature of political change. Although the use of diaries and memoirs is almost commonplace in historical research it is not without its pitfalls. Difficulties include the interpretation of personal diaries and those intended for publication, dealing with deliberately one-sided memoirs and the advantage of hindsight, and the challenge of integrating evidence from diaries and memoirs with wider historical contexts. In short, historians should be aware of the `diary wars': politicians are aware of their role in history and want to influence the writing of it accordingly. This module will examine how historians can make use of published political diaries and memoirs, taking into account the inevitable problems and challenges which they pose as sources.