CRITICISM

Adams, Julia, and Ann Stoler. Review of The Embarrassment of Riches, by Simon Schama. Contemporary Sociology 17, No. 6 (November 1988): 760–62.

Adams and Stoler offer a positive assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches.

Barrell, John. “The Argument from Design.” London Review of Books (24 August 1995): 21.

Barrel offers a mixed assessment of Landscape and Memory, in which he praises Schama's entertaining and erudite narrative, but finds fault in his expansive approach and tendency to overwrite.

Brown, Jonathan. “High Point in Low Countries.” New York Review of Books (21 January 1988): 11–12, 14.

Brown offers a positive assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches, commending Schama's lavish visual imagery.

Burke, Peter. “A Delicious Satisfaction with the Material World.” London Review of Books (12 November 1987): 13–14.

Burke offers a mixed assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches, in which he commends Schama's engaging narrative, but finds shortcomings in his “impressionistic” approach.

Colley, Linda. “Fabrication the Past.” Times Literary Supplement (14 June 1991): 5.

Colley offers a mixed assessment of Dead Certainties, criticizing Schama's reduction of historical scholarship to fiction.

“Not Yet Carlyle.” Economist (6 May 1995): 84–85.

The critic praises Schama's engaging personal perspective in Landscape and Memory, but finds shortcomings in the book's lack of organizing principles and structure.

Emsley, Clive. “Suspending Belief.” History Today 42 (September 1992): 48.

Emsley offers a mixed assessment of Dead Certainties, and expresses doubt as to the book's significance as a work of history.

Greisman, Harvey Clark. Review of Citizens, by Simon Schama. Contemporary Sociology 19, No. 2 (March 1990): 205–06.

Greisman praises Citizens as “an outstanding cultural history” despite shortcomings in its “overstated and at times melodramatic revisionism.”

Haley, K. H. D. Review of The Embarrassment of Riches, by Simon Schama. English Historical Review CIV, No. 412 (July 1989): 695–97.

Haley offers a generally positive assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches.

Halttunen, Karen. Review of Dead Certainties, by Simon Schama. Journal of American History 79, No. 2 (Spring 1992): 631.

Halttunen offers a positive assessment of Schama's prose style, research skills, and perspective on the subject matter of Dead Certainties.

Hutton, Patrick H. “Mnemonic Schemes in the New History of Memory.” History and Theory 36, No. 3 (October 1997): 378–91.

Hutton discusses the influence of metahistorical and postmodern theory on contemporary historiography and examines innovative approaches to historical writing in Schama's Landscape and Memory and Matt Matsuda's The Memory of the Modern.

Jones, Colin. “Down with the Bourgeoisie.” Times Literary Supplement (21–27 July 1989): 791–92.

Jones offers a mixed assessment of Citizens, commending Schama's insight and audacity, but faulting his distorted interpretation of the French Revolution's violent extremes.

Lovell, Margaretta M. Review of Landscape and Memory, by Simon Schama. William and Mary Quarterly LV, No. 1 (January 1998): 138–41.

Lovell praises Schama's synthesis of scholarship and narrative eloquence in Landscape and Memory, but expresses reservations at his portrayal of “exceptional men” as the principal creators of culture.

Masur, Louis P. “On Parkman's Trail.” William and Mary Quarterly XLIX, No. 1 (January 1992): 120–32.

Masur examines Schama's subjective historical perspective in Dead Certainties and his effort to reconcile problematic aspects of historical truth.

McNamee, Gregory. “This Lime Tree Bower.” Nation (22 May 1995): 727–78.

McNamee offers a positive assessment of Landscape and Memory, but concludes that the work falls short of its promise.

Otten, Anna. Review of Citizens, by Simon Schama. Antioch Review 48, No. 1 (Winter 1990): 113.

Otten offers a positive assessment of Citizens, complimenting Schama's usage of suspenseful prose.

Porch, Douglas. “Storm over the Bastille.” Washington Post Book World (2 April 1989): 1, 10.

Porch offers a positive assessment of Citizens, noting that Schama's revisionist account of the French Revolution will no doubt displease an earlier generation of Marxist historians.

Price, J. L. Review of The Embarrassment of Riches, by Simon Schama. American Historical Review 94, No. 1 (February 1989): 158–59.

Price offers a mixed assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches, which he regards as “a frustrating mixture of the very good and the surprisingly bad.”

Steiner, George. “Cornucopia.” New Yorker (14 September 1987): 130–34.

Steiner offers a favorable assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches.

———. “Two Hundred Years Young.” New Yorker (17 April 1989): 131–35.

Steiner offers a positive assessment of Citizens, which he praises as “a formidable, often heartwarming achievement.”

Strout, Cushing. “Border Crossings: History, Fiction, and Dead Certainties.” History and Theory 31, No. 2 (May 1992): 153–62.

Strout examines Schama's hybrid of history and fiction in Dead Certainties, addressing Schama's skepticism concerning historical truth and drawing comparisons to similar literary experiments by other authors.

Vardi, Linda. Review of Landscape and Memory, by Simon Schama. American Historical Review 101, No. 4 (October 1996): 1178.

Vardi commends Schama's broad treatment of culture in Landscape and Memory, but finds fault in his “rejection of Enlightenment dualities” and assertions about Western myth.

Watson, George. “Moral Geography.” Partisan Review LVI, No. 3 (Summer 1989): 507–10.

Watson offers a positive assessment of The Embarrassment of Riches.

Wilson, Richard. “Sacred Places.” History Today 46, No. 8 (August 1996): 55–56.

Wilson offers a generally positive review of Landscape and Memory.

Woolway, Joanne. “Landskips.” Essays in Criticism XLVI, No. 3 (July 1996): 280–87.

In this review of Landscape and Memory, Woolway praises Schama's breadth of knowledge and narrative skill, but finds his subjective tone and rhetorical tendencies troublesome.

Additional coverage of Schama's life and career is contained in the following sources published by the Gale Group: Bestsellers, Vol. 89:4; Contemporary Authors, Vol. 105; Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Vols. 39 and 91; and Literature Resource Center.