Music Is History

My main goal in this book isn’t to substitute my analysis (which would be far from expert) for existing analyses. But I do want to help teach people to learn history by reminding them to question their reading habits, reassess where they locate authority, retain a healthy skepticism.

The fact was that behind every great individual, male or female, there was a supporting cast that was instrumental in the creation, communication, and execution of ideas, and that the very notion of solitary greatness had to be reassessed even as it was accepted as a motivational fiction.

they boost the value of the past, look back with rose-(or otherwise-) tinted glasses.

Sometimes when you delve into the past, it lets you down.

Just because everyone sees the same things doesn’t mean that everyone sees things the same.

History may be inevitable, but within that inevitability there are still clear choices that can be made.

It’s true that the past is different from the present. But understanding those differences before broadcasting value judgments, that’s the better goal.

Understanding history begins with learning history, and learning history begins with being able to see both inside yourself and outside yourself.

I can relate the history dispassionately. That’s something to practice. It’s important. If you let all your emotions in all the time when you’re giving historical accounts, you may find yourself too often overcome by sorrow, rage, and wonder.