senevilla's review against another edition
5.0
Even if you aren't interested in the historiography side of things, the case study on Haiti's missing history is worth picking up the book. It's short and accessable.
siouxsiek's review against another edition
3.0
I think this was probably more groundbreaking in 1995 when it was written. It reminded me at times of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari in its emphasis on making us see that most of the stories we tell ourselves (whether they be capitalism, religion, nation borders, etc.) are a fiction, but that these fictions are still important. And I like that idea--it's just in the 27 years since publication, other authors have developed it further, so it's no longer new. So the rating is for how this book hit me personally, not for the initial ideas.
kitty87228's review against another edition
5.0
The first chapter was a struggle but then it was worth it. Excellent read and makes me wonder how we can tell true history, especially when it comes to the education system.
Read for Histories of Christian Ethics class.
Read for Histories of Christian Ethics class.
ema_ab's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
In general, the theory and the approach are ground-breaking. After reading this, I don't think I will ever view history the same way again. Instead, I will continuously ask about the silences, narratives and power at play at creating the two. By looking for silences, we can actually find the history, and this has been overlooked for too long, resulting in incomplete, one-angled version of events. A must-read for any social sciences student, but really anyone in general. I would say though that the narrow focus on the Haitian revolution in what is otherwise a general-purpose concept was a bit strange at times; if the author had provided more varied examples (like did in the third chapter), I believe the concepts he was getting at would have appealed and been understood by more people.
In general, the theory and the approach are ground-breaking. After reading this, I don't think I will ever view history the same way again. Instead, I will continuously ask about the silences, narratives and power at play at creating the two. By looking for silences, we can actually find the history, and this has been overlooked for too long, resulting in incomplete, one-angled version of events. A must-read for any social sciences student, but really anyone in general. I would say though that the narrow focus on the Haitian revolution in what is otherwise a general-purpose concept was a bit strange at times; if the author had provided more varied examples (like did in the third chapter), I believe the concepts he was getting at would have appealed and been understood by more people.
eheimerman's review against another edition
5.0
Silencing the Past is quick, engaging, and thought-provoking. Trouillot is succinct and factual when discussing racism, silence, and suppression in the field of history. I loved reading it and I would recommend it to anyone.
kukuku's review against another edition
3.0
One "silences" a fact or an individual as a silencer silences a gun... Hard facts are no more frightening than darkness. You can play with them if you are with friends. They are scary only if you read them alone.
People who aren't African-American but who feel they have a right to speak on African-American culture and social practices shouldn't have nearly as many rights as they do!! Other than the moments were that diaspora-war rhetoric came out, I liked this one. MRT's a good storyteller and the mix of theory and italicized narratives in the chapters reminded me of Anne Dufourmantelle's In Praise of Risk, which is a personal favorite, so I could just be biased toward that writing style now.
nickc5's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely eye-opening. Trouillot answers questions about epistemology and historicity I didn't even know I had. He points to what is important in history and the making of it, tipping the value of the Western historian guild on its head.