What Is History anyway

Going through notes for one of my classes I came across these quotes defining history. Thought this might be a good place to air them.

What is history? People have had great fun with it: for example:

Henry Ford: "History is bunk."
Leo Tolstoy: "History would be a wonderful thing — if it were only true."
Hegel: "We learn from history that we do not learn from history."
Napoleon "History is a set of lies agreed upon."

And my all time favorite which actually describes traditional history very well, though a bit acerbically:

Ambrose Bierce: History, n. An account mostly false, of events unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.