Thierry, Augustin

Thierry, Augustin (ōgüstăN` tyĕrē`), 1795–1856, French historian. His vivid literary style, romantic treatment of events, and use of contemporary documents helped to create interest in historical studies in the early 19th cent. His two most famous works, Histoire de la conquête de l'Angleterre par les Normands (3 vol., 1825; tr. History of the Conquest of England by the Normans, 3 vol., 1825) and Récits des temps mérovingiens (2 vol., 1840; tr. Narratives of the Merovingian Era, 1845), were great popular successes; however, they lacked exact scholarship and advanced conclusions based on dubious premises.

Bibliography

See R. N. Smithson, The Evolution of the Historical Method of Augustin Thierry (1970).