History: An Introduction to Theory and Method

by Peter Claus, John Marriott

Overview

This book provides an accessible introduction to a wide range of concerns that have preoccupied historians over time. Global in scope, it explores historical perspectives not only from historiography itself but from related areas such as literature, sociology, geography and anthropology which have entered into productive dialogues with history.

Clearly written and accessible, this third edition is fully revised with an updated structure and new areas of historical enquiry and themes added, including the history of emotions, video history and global pandemics. In all of this, the authors have attempted to think beyond the boundaries of the West and consider varied approaches to history. They do so by engaging with theoretical perspectives and methodologies that have provided the foundation for good historical practice. The authors analyse how historians can improve their skills by learning about the discipline of historiography, that is, how historians go about the task of exploring the past and determining where the line separating history from other disciplines, such as sociology or geography, runs.

History: An Introduction to Theory and Method 3ed is an essential resource for students of historical theory and method working at both an introductory and more advanced level.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367740955
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/07/2023
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	516
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Peter Claus is an Access Fellow, Director of OxNet & CredOx at Pembroke College, Oxford. He is currently writing a book on the 'East End Underworld' in the twentieth century co-authored with John Marriott, also for Routledge. The combination of Access activities and historical research has developed an historical interest in the metropolis and a commitment to research on outreach, education theory and practice, public engagement, and the democratisation of the archive.

Professor John Marriott is Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford. His research has focused on London and Empire from the seventeenth century. Among numerous books are Beyond the Tower: A History of East London (2011). He is currently editing a major digital resource on the nineteenth-century British Empire, and completing a study of the origins of British territorial power in India.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Philosophies 1. From the ancients to the Christians 2. From the Middle Ages to the Early Modern 3. Enlightenment and Romanticism 4. The English Tradition 5. The North American Tradition 6. Histories of Revolutions; Revolutionary histories 7. Postmodernism and Postcolonialism Part 2: Varieties 8. Political History 9. Economic History 10. Social History 11. Cultural History 12. Feminism, Gender and Queer History 13. Public History 14. Visual History 15. Global history 16. Environmental history Part 3: Interdisciplinarities 17. Archaeology 18. Anthropology 19. Literature 20. Geography Part 4: Methods 21. Proof and the problem of objectivity 22. Ordering of time 23. Archives in a Digital World 24. Oral History

Editorial Reviews

"Peter Claus and John Marriott’s insightful book History: An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice offers a most useful introduction to the study of history. The authors chart the development of the discipline from Herodotus to the present day in a clear, logical and concise manner, drawing on a wealth of fascinating illustrative material to map out key developments in the subject. This comprehensive and perceptive book is a must-read for students of history and should be made essential reading on any undergraduate or graduate theory and methods course."

Robert James, University of Portsmouth, UK

"Claus and Marriott have produced an excellent textbook, impressively comprehensive in scope and detail, yet with a logical structure and short, easily manageable chapters, and written in a concise, accessible style aimed at the undergraduate reader. A must for historiography courses."

Sacha Davis, University of Newcastle, Australia

"A welcome revised and updated guide to the discipline of history, its variety, and practice. History is a comprehensive discussion of the development of the subject, different approaches of history, as well as a guide to techniques. It is an essential text for students that mixes historiography, theory, and methodology and is richly illustrated with examples."

Kevin Linch, University of Leeds, UK

From the Publisher