History has to start somewhere, and Annales may be as good a place as any

So last week I mentioned that this was my first introduction to the Annales school of history and I concluded that Bloch's, "...fragmented organization almost makes [Feudal Society] more like a reference book, easily separated into its distinct parts than a comprehensive presentation."

I continued, "...the book presents countless new opportunities for scholastic endeavor, not just for historians, but the other social sciences as well; second, the books social focus helps to identify potential 'truths' about mankind that can help better understand the relationship between man and social structures and the most basic needs of civilization and how man responds in their absence or abuse."

Little did I realize how these observations would resonate into this week's readings, and especially Hexter's assessment of Braudel.  In discussing how a reader might approach a 1,100 page tome, Hexter suggests:

Do not earnestly (as I did) start at the beginning, go to the end, then stop. Rather open at random, find the beginning of a sub-subsection and start there. If what you read does not interest or please you, close and open at random again. Only a most unlikely set of accidents or a most incurious mind will require you to repeat this procedure often. If the sub-subsection satisfies your curiosity, go on to another as far away or as near as you wish. If it whets your curiosity, go back to the subsection in which the sub-subsection is set and read it through.

I believe Bloch's Feudal Society, and Braudel's La Mediterranee sought to encourage further, deeper research through their own broad and sweeping approach to history.  In his own words, Braudel recognizes that, "A new crop of specialized research ... follow[ed] in the wake of my book. It began by following in my footsteps and has now completely overwhelmed me."

Hexter posits that one of the challenges of Annales (a genre of history I am growing to appreciate a great deal) is that in being so broad and inclusive they so not solve the perennial historiographical problem, "...of linking the durable phenomena of history with those that involve rapid change."

However, I believe this is a character of Annales that its founders were quite conscious of and Braudel's claim of being "overwhelmed" by the research in the in the wake of his book is not a critique, but an affirmation.