Abstract: A total history is the general goal of the historiography reform raised by the Annales School. By dividing historical time into three phrases, it tries to define the basic elements that determine the social changes so as to understand the slowly changing social structure and its features and reveal the general trend and process of historical development. Fernand Braudel is a representative of this intellectual school. But it is barely satisfactory in its pursuit of a total history because there are both insurmountable practical difficulties and obvious theoretical deficiencies. For all that, the Annales School has made great achievements and gained enormous influences. Since the end of the last century, with the return of political history, a new series of problems have appeared. We should evaluate the Annales School's theory of a total history and its practice from a longue-durée perspective so as to have a more complete understanding of its gains and losses.

Key words: Annales School, total history, theory and practice, comprehensive evaluation