The Uses and Abuses of History Book

The past is capricious enough to support every stance - no matter how questionable. In 2002, the Bush administration decided that dealing with Saddam Hussein was like appeasing Hitler or Mussolini, and promptly invaded Iraq. Were they wrong to look to history for guidance? No; their mistake was to exaggerate one of its lessons while suppressing others of equal importance. History is often hijacked through suppression, manipulation, and, sometimes, even outright deception. MacMillan's book is packed full of examples of the abuses of history. In response, she urges us to treat the past with care and respect.

Abuses of history can have dire consequences - look at Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Margaret MacMillan's argument for why history matters shows how treating the past with respect can lead us to a better understanding with the present. The past is...