Book Review: THE MAN WHO INVENTED HISTORY - TRAVELS WITH HERODOTUS by Justin Marozzi

The Man Who Invented History: Travels with Herodotus by Justin Marozzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"History is one of the fields where, if you teach it badly, you produce serious damage way ahead in the future."

It's a rare book-about-a-book that can make the reader frantically look for a copy of the original that inspired it, after only 40 pages!

Inspired by the first historian and author of the first prose work, British author Justin Marozzi set out to see for himself how much has changed in the last 2500 years since Herodotus penned THE HISTORIES. Beginning with Bodrum, Turkey (formerly Halicarnassus, the hometown of the first historian), Marozzi brings us with him to Iraq, dodging bullets and being under armed guard as he visits Babylon and Baghdad. Next he takes us up the Nile in Egypt as he visits Memphis, Thebes, and Cairo, marveling at pyramids and museums. Most of the book takes place in Greece, where he visits ancient temples and tunnels, and (the highlight of the book) has lunch with THE Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor himself!!!

Another highlight of the book for this teacher was Marozzi's interview with Nenad Sebek, former head of the Centre for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE), whose NGO undertook a comparative study of how history was taught (Clio in the Balkans) and then came up with a revolutionary series of history textbooks for high school (secondary) students, called the JOINT HISTORY PROJECT (http://jointhistory.net/). To my surprise, the English textbooks are readily available for download at their website! When Marozzi published this book in 2008, only four volumes were available, but now there are 6.

A quick scan of the World War 2 textbook confirms Marozzi's joyful observation that this was Herodotus' legacy thrown in the classroom, this is "history as an active force, with a message and a moral voice."

The textbooks give primary sources and "provide multiple perspectives. We say, this is what people wrote at the time. You have the grey matter. Figure it out. We don't give conclusions... it's history as an ongoing dialogue, not a final verdict."

The CDRSEE got 60 historians from 11 countries to write the books, "presenting differences and conflicts openly instead of painting a false picture of harmony, stimulating critical thought by presenting different versions/interpretations of the same event, promoting an ability to evaluate human acts and make moral judgements."

A cursory look at the World War 2 volume of JOIN HISTORY shows that it is VERY engaging because it shows the human face of history. Filled with writings from ordinary people as well as leaders of the time, full of pictures that show the brutality of conflict... but also, it is short (144 pages). This is a history book meant to be savored, with a manageable length that a teacher and a class can cover fully. It's also full of colored highlights that promote discussion: "Is it necessary and correct to always equate “German” with “enemy”? Why did some Germans operate against other Germans?" or "Comment on the differences between the perspective of the soldiers and that conveyed by
the press. Why did the press distort reality? Was this distortion justified?"

Wonderful stuff! How I wish we had this equivalent in Philippine history textbooks! But that is fuel for a different (and very long and controversial) discussion...

Back to Marozzi's charming book! Another highlight was the exorcism he accidentally witnessed while innocently taking in the sights at Thessaloniki's Basilica of Aghios Dimitrios, only to be told that the victim was "a doctor who comes every Monday." O.M.G.

Marozzi delighted in less famous but equally amazing feats of ancient engineering, such as the incredible Tunnel of Eupalinos built around 600 B.C. by slaves who started on opposite sides of the mountain!?! What kind of math did they possess, to ensure they met in the middle??

I loved the interviews Marozzi conducted, ranging from authorities in the Orthodox Church (whom he admits, historically, has a strong claim to being "the origin of the Christian faith" ever since we Catholics mucked things up in the schism of 1054), to the Grand Mufti of Cairo's Al Azhar Mosque himself, who said: "In dialogue we search for common ground. Where there is knowledge, there is better understanding, and wherever we find ignorance, we find blind fanaticism."

What a wonderful reminder to go through life with open minds and hearts! I'm grateful for this thrilling introduction to Herodotus, and now I'm off to read the original! Wish me luck!

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