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Why Bother with History?

David Bebbington on the pleasures, the uncertainty, and - yes - the utility of the study of history.

“A lot of people get a great deal of pleasure out of history. And I think history is important simply for enhancing the quality of life.”

David Bebbington is Professor of History at the University of Stirling in Scotland – and he thinks history is both important and enjoyable. Simon Smart picks his brains on whether people are still interested in history today, why they ought to be, and the extent to which we can get at the past as it really was.