Biographies of historians – or, the cliographer's craft

Abstract

There is a recent named sub-set of biographies—cliographies—dealing with historians. This article will explore who are the subjects and authors of cliographies and what are their nature. My quest is both normative and explanatory in seeking to analyse the practices and issues of these works, not least the way cliographies are changing, and what cliographies might tell us about the historical discipline. I will argue that cliographies, while not always innovative given where they sit in the profession, are nonetheless significant histories in themselves