...an elegant and engaging memoir.

The book’s blurb billing it as a 'self-portrait' is somewhat misleading. Illuminating History is not an intellectual memoir, but rather a miscellany — a collection of sometimes fascinating, often arcane historical essays, written in Bailyn’s elegant but orotund style.

Bailyn...offers a fascinating reflection on intellectual enthusiasms and challenges that have marked his long, prolific career.

Bailyn...offers a fascinating reflection on intellectual enthusiasms and challenges that have marked his long, prolific career.

Successful chapters, including the close reading of a will left by a Puritan merchant and an overview of changing interpretations of 17th-century census records, showcase the creativity inherent in the study of history and the conversational nature of scholarship, illustrating Bailyn’s belief that 'the historical imagination must be closely bounded by the documentation'... Though readers may glimpse the masterly scholarship and clear writing that distinguish Bailyn’s work, the book’s inconsistency and lack of an overarching thesis lead to a disappointing result. History buffs will be left hoping for a more substantial account of Bailyn’s life and career..