Lost Worlds

Lost Worlds, Volume 1, is a scholarly work of intellectual history by Jonathan Dewald. This volume examines the origins of social history and private life, challenging the idea that these focuses were twentieth-century innovations. By analyzing the contributions of French intellectuals in the nineteenth century, Dewald demonstrates that the key concepts used by modern historians were developed long before the Annales school.

This history and theory text focuses on France and Europe, exploring the work of figures like Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve and Hippolyte Taine. The author compares French approaches to social history with German methods between 1930 and 1970. Through these analyses, Lost Worlds provides a detailed look at how historical practice evolved across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, offering critical insights for students of political science and modern European history.