Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-328) and index.

What's wrong with history? the contemporary context -- The great Jeremiad: the history of historical specialization -- professional historians, amateurs, and nonacademic audiences, 1890-1939 / Searching for the general reader -- Allan Nevins and friends, 1930s-1950s / The crusade against pedantry and its aftermath -- Movies made history and history made movies -- how the American Historical Association sought to meet a mass culture / Radio days -- progressives and teachers before World War II / Contesting the retreat from the schools -- American history and the school curriculum in war and peace / The patriots' call -- public and applied history, 1890-1930 / Going public -- History making in the New Deal state -- World War II, the Cold War, and remaking history / States of war -- connecting and disconnecting with public audiences / The state, the local, and the national.

Shows that the perceived threat to history is recurrent, exaggerated, and often misunderstood. This book shows, the utility of history is a distinctive theme throughout the history of the discipline, as is the attempt to be responsive to public issues among pressure groups.