
John Merriman, the Charles Seymour Professor of History
(University of Nebraska Press)
This volume collects some of John Merriman’s most notable and significant explorations of French history and culture.
In a wide-ranging introduction Merriman reflects on his decades of research and on his life, lived increasingly in France. At the beginning of his career he was determined not to be a narrow specialist but a historian who engaged with all the regions of France. So he set himself the goal of doing archival research in every single département of the country. A permanent resident of the small village of Balazuc in the Ardèche for more than 25 years, he laments what he sees as the over-professionalization of history at the expense of passion for one’s field.