Geographia Polonica (2027) vol. 100, iss. 1
How much Geography is there in History? Norman Davies and the spatial dimension of historical narrative
Geographia Polonica (2027) vol. 100, iss. 1, pp. i-xiv | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0329
Abstract
This article examines the works of Norman Davies through the lens of geohistory, drawing on the traditions of Paul Vidal de la Blache and Fernand Braudel. Davies situates historical events within their geographical contexts – spatial, environmental, and place-based – highlighting the dynamic interplay between place and human agency. He incorporates concepts such as milieu and longue durée, while simultaneously emphasizing narrative plurality and historical contingency, thus presenting history as a kaleidoscope of intersecting scales and processes. Cities, regions, and landscapes are treated as active participants in historical development rather than as passive backdrops. Davies’s work demonstrates how mobility, trade, and cultural exchange shape both local and global histories, while geography structures opportunities as well as constraints. Ultimately, his approach bridges analytical and narrative methodologies, showing that space functions simultaneously as a framework for action and as a tool of historical interpretation. This perspective underscores the continuing relevance of spatial thinking for understanding past, present, and future historical processes.
Keywords: human geography, space, geohistory, geohistoriography
[marcin.wojcik@geo.uni.lodz.p], Department of Regional and Social Geography Faculty of Geographical Sciences, University of Lodz S. Kopcińskiego 31, 90-142 Łódź: Poland
