Different Histories

Last night, I was texting my brother, and we were discussing the biography of Teddy Roosevelt that he is reading. I expressed how much I love history, and he told me not to confuse the two genres, stating, "Don't confuse a biography of a historical figure with an actual history." This got me to thinking about the different type of histories described in Chapter 4. Can we really not confuse the two? Or is a history made up of all different components, including the biography of a historical figure like the great T.R.? 

When reading, I was taken aback by how many different histories the authors listed within our text book. Some were simple and obvious, like political, social and national histories. Others, not so much, like absent history and family histories, and other nonmainstream histories. All of these combined make up what can be called the "Grand Narrative" of the existence of humankind.  Even personal histories of those who were not or are not in the limelight are vital to the Grand Narrative. So, was my brother wrong to say that you shouldn't confuse a biography of a historical figure and an actual history? I believe he was. 

To the Grand Narrative of humankind, every aspect of human life - sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, even geographical placement - counts towards the full "report" through their respective histories.