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The Pursuit of History

The Pursuit of History

5th Edition

John Tosh

Dec 2009, Paperback, 368 pages
ISBN13: 9780582894129
ISBN10: 0582894123
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“An excellent introduction to methodology in history which will be read with advantage by historians at any stage of their development.”

History

“Can easily be handled by the general reader wanting to know what is happening to history today.”

British Book News

This classic introduction to the study of history invites the reader to stand back and consider some of its most fundamental questions - What is the point of studying history? How do we know about the past? Does an objective historical truth exist and can we ever access it?

In answering these central questions, John Tosh argues that, despite the impression of fragmentation created by postmodernism in recent years, history is a coherent discipline which still bears the imprint of its nineteenth-century origins. Consistently clear-sighted, he provides a lively and compelling guide to a complex and sometimes controversial subject, while making his readers vividly aware of just how far our historical knowledge is conditioned by the character of the sources and the methods of the historians who work on them.

The fifth edition has been revised and updated throughout, with the addition of new sections on:

· Global history

· Comparative history

· Postcolonialism

· Women’s and gender history

· Oral history and memory

Lucid and engaging, this new edition retains all the user-friendly features that have helped to make this book a favourite with both students and lecturers, including marginal glosses, illustrations, suggested further reading and boxed guides to key events and people.

Preface to the Fifth Edition

1. Historical al Awareness

2. The Uses of History

3. Mapping the Field

4. The Raw Materials

5. Using the Sources

6. Writing and Interpretation

7. The Limits of Historical Knowledge

8. History and Social Theory

9. Cultural Evidence and the Cultural Turn

10. Gender History and Postcolonial History

11. Memory and the Spoken Word

Conclusion

  • This edition contains updated information on history in the media, plus even more coverage of contemporary historians

  • Addresses key historiographical questions - why and how do we study history; what are the limitations of historical evidence; what kinds of history are being written today? Students will be more reflective about their discipline.

  • Assesses the significance of postmodernism - puts this important development into perspective.

John Tosh is Professor of History at Roehampton University and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of several works on historiography, notably Why History Matters (2008) and Historians on History (2nd ed., 2008).

Sean Lang is a Research Fellow at Anglia Polytechnic University and was formerly a sixth form teacher. He is also Director of the Historical Association Curriculum Project, developing a new type of history curriculum for pupils aged 14-19.

rated 4 star

Great For Students

28 Nov 2012

By V Pearce

This book was recommended to me by one of my tutors, it explains everything, it is easy to understand and very helpful