Invented History, Fabricated Power: The Narrative Shaping of Civilization and Culture

Description

Invented History, Fabricated Power begins with an examination of prehistoric beliefs (in spirits, souls, mana, orenda) that provided personal explanation and power through ritual and shamanism among tribal peoples. On this foundation, spiritual power evolved into various kinds of divine sanction for kings and emperors (Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese and Japanese). As kingships expanded into empires, fictional histories and millennia-long genealogies developed that portrayed imperial superiority and greatness. Supernatural events and miracles were attached to religious founders (Hebrew, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic). A unique variation developed in the Roman Church which fabricated papal power through forgeries in the first millennium CE and the later "doctrine of discovery" which authorized European domination and conquest around the world during the Age of Exploration. Elaborate fabrications continued with epic histories and literary cycles from the Persians, Ethiopians, Franks, British, Portuguese, and Iroquois Indians. Both Marxists and Nazis created doctrinal texts which passed for economic or political explanations but were in fact self-aggrandizing narratives that eventually collapsed. The book ends with the idealistic goals of the current liberal democratic way of life, pointing to its limitations as a sustaining narrative, along with numerous problems threatening its viability over the long term.

Barry Wood has degrees from the universities of Toronto and British Columbia, and an interdisciplinary doctorate in English and American literature, humanities and religious studies from Stanford University. He teaches British and American literature at the University of Houston. His previous books include Malcolm Lowry: The Writer and His Critics.

By focusing on the way political elites have used constructed narrative as a way of validating their claims to power, the author offers a fresh and convincing analytical framework for understanding the emergence of powerful leaders from ancient times to the present. The author offers a convincing argument that power needs to be considered as something less tangible than mere control of economies or military systems. Historians should also consider power as an invention of elites who for millennia have used artists and story tellers to weave narratives to 'convince' people of the legitimacy of claims to power being made by political elites. In Invented History, the author reminds us that for millennia history has essentially been a narrative shaped by legions of storytellers and artists, who have used their narrative skills to offer explicit validation for the claims to authority and leadership made by political elites. By providing a comprehensive overview of the role of narrative in the invention and maintenance of power, the author has provided historians who work in larger scales a new approach to the psychology of power, and the sociology of nationalist and imperialist thinking by entire populations. - Dr. Craig Benjamin, PhD, Professor of History, Frederik J. Meijer Honors College, Grand Valley State University Official Review: Nonfiction Authors Association Award (NFAA) Author Barry Wood's Invented History, Fabricated Power is a detailed journey through the ages depicting how fictional narratives and storytelling have been used to create histories that have woven their way into cultures around the world. The book traces these different narratives of power from prominent cultures over the years (from the earliest phase of society associated with kingship down to modern examples that include Hitler) and across the globe, while asking us to think of power as an intangible invention of leaders, elites, artists, sculptors, or storytellers in imperial courts. The author's approach to his topic is thoughtful, research-based, and methodical. Overall, an excellent way to begin thoughtful conversations about how we create and view history - for adult scholars or simply those with an interest. Historical Events in a Different Light (NFAA Review) I liked this book. It presents historical events in a different light that fully justifies its title. There is never a dull paragraph, every word resonating with some of my pet feelings. And the copious bibliography is capable of adding to it. I agree with the author-the human situation is to the point where our inventive imagination is turning in random directions. And the once promising ideal narrative of liberal democracy for all of humanity is moving more and more away from us. Official Review: Nonfiction Authors Association Award (NFAA) Author Barry Wood's Invented History, Fabricated Power is a detailed journey through the ages depicting how fictional narratives and storytelling have been used to create "histories" that have woven their way into cultures around the world. The book traces these different narratives of power from prominent cultures over the years (from the earliest phase of society associated with kingship down to modern examples that include Hitler) and across the globe, while asking us to think of power as an intangible invention of leaders, elites, artists, sculptors, or storytellers in imperial courts. The author's approach to his topic is thoughtful, research-based, and methodical. Overall, an excellent way to begin thoughtful conversations about how we create and view history - for adult scholars or simply those with an interest. Historical Events in a Different Light (NFAA Review) I liked this book. It presents historical events in a different light that fully justifies its title. There is never a dull paragraph, every word resonating with some of my pet feelings. And the copious bibliography is capable of adding to it. I agree with the author-the human situation is to the point where our inventive imagination is turning in random directions. And the once promising ideal narrative of liberal democracy for all of humanity is moving more and more away from us.