History

It's hard to believe the Sixties are history. I always assumed that it was still the Sixties - or at least that the decade was so seminal that history could never be understood in quite the same way again. But now there are dozens of books, films and TV shows turning over the bones and artifacts to discover the true meaning of 'peace, love and good vibes'. Hold on a second - these are my bones. My sense of self and society were forged in the Sixties, in youth culture, the Quebec student movement and revulsion over the Vietnam War.

The baby boomers of the Sixties share the fatal conceit of every generation that theirs is a pivotal and unchallengeable role in history - made worse in our case by our numbers and by the heated passions (some would say illusions) of the time. So as part of putting together this issue on the uses and abuses of history I went to a conference entitled 'Towards a History of the Sixties'. I already knew that conservatives saw the decade as altogether too noisy, too intemperate, too unrealistic. In the rigged marketplace of public opinion former radicals like David Horowitz are trying to turn the Sixties into a code word for excess and irresponsibility - for 'living beyond our means'.

At the Conference I ran into a different kind of criticism entirely. Younger activists were quick to point out that celebrating a nostalgic history of Sixties radicalism was simply not good enough. Many felt that they had been living too long in the shadow of the Sixties, forced to relive its myths. One participant, writer LA Kaufman, said that she felt the Conference 'was like coming to someone else's class reunion'. Veterans of the movement were offering answers that did not seem to fit the questions of their younger colleagues.

It was a painful process to watch. It also posed a central dilemma for me about history. How can the historical experience of one generation be passed to the next without the myth-making and resentment that so often prevents us from seriously coming to grips with the past? This is something we all experience first with our parents and then with our children, if we have them. But it also affects the public realm. A classic recent case here in Canada saw World War Two veterans trying to suppress a National Film Board production by younger directors that revealed uncomfortable truths about the firebombing of Dresden.

Is it possible to respect the space for each generation to 'start over' while giving them the historical raw material to do so effectively? The present is in a profound sense always in the process of becoming history - but handling its transmission is a delicate process fraught with pitfalls. This issue suggests how to avoid the worst of these.

Myth and memory
Richard Swift explores the ways in which the past is used to justify the unjustifiable.

The curse of Kosovo
The collapse of Yugoslavia has left Serbian nationalism the terror of the Balkans. Branka Magas exposes its ancient roots.

Temple wars
Rehan Ansari finds that Hindu fundamentalist passions are aroused by a highly selective reading of Indian history.

Simply... Hijacking history

Can memory survive?
David Watson believes that media-induced amnesia is blotting out what humankind needs to remember in order to survive.

Digging into silence
Chris Brazier shakes the branches of the family tree.

Highways into history
An NI guide to the key philosophies of history.

The cloak of power
The Cold War has ended but the Pentagon still plays cop to the world. Colin Gordon finds the historical justifications paper thin.

Confessions of a war historian
John Charles ponders the real reasons for the fascination with blood and battle.

Hidden from history
A visual exploration of what the standard heritage theme park misses out.

Old passions, new visions
Barbara Taylor chronicles the impressive growth of women's history and looks at key issues for the future.

Worth reading on... HISTORY

Letters
Hector Cattolica: an obituary
Updates
Reviews: plus Sigmund Freud classic
Curiosities
Endpiece: on the life of Bessie Head
Country profile: Yemen

FRONT COVER PHOTOMONTAGE BY RICHARD SLY
ONLINE MAG MAINTAINED BY SIMON LOFFLER