“Historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness however thorough or revealing their documentation. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot.”
Cite this quote
APA
Schama, S. (n.d.). Historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness however thorough or revealing their documentation. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21682-historians-are-left-forever-chasing-shadows-painfully-aware/
MLA
Schama, Simon. “Historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness however thorough or revealing their documentation. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21682-historians-are-left-forever-chasing-shadows-painfully-aware/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Schama, Simon. “Historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness however thorough or revealing their documentation. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21682-historians-are-left-forever-chasing-shadows-painfully-aware/.