History is a narrative discourse, full of unfinished stories. This collection of innovative and experimental pieces of historical writing shows there are fascinating and important new ways of thinking and writing about the past. The pieces illustrate the performative and fictive nature of history, that point to new ways of thinking about the past.
Fourteen engaging and thought-provoking pieces lead the reader to a deeper understanding of some of the possible responses to the question 'What is history?', and even suggest that this traditional question might be better replaced with a new question, 'How shall I engage with the past today?'. The collection includes subjects as diverse as a lynching in South Carolina, the life of an eighteenth century French Marquise and a journey to a string of Pacific islands. The pieces show what is possible in doing history, and demonstrate how other factors, such as the impact of emotions, the feeling of 'otherness', the confining character of boundaries, authorial subjectivity, and even a sense of boredom with conventional ways of doing history, intrude on historical practice.
As well as being a compelling read, the book includes a thorough two-part introduction on theory and practice, as well as further introductory matter at the start of each section to allow the reader to engage fully with the theoretical aspects of each part of the book. This book should be read by all those with an interest in history and its theory.

John Stuart Mill's best-known work is On Liberty (1859). In it he declared that Western society was in danger of coming to a standstill. To understand how Mill came to this conclusion requires one to investigate his notion of the stages from barbarism to civilisation, and also his belief in imperialism as part of the civilising process. This study encompasses discourses on the blessings, curses and dangers of modernisation from approximately the time of the American and French revolutions to that of the so-called mid-Victorian calm in which On Liberty was written. Current political issues concerning the West and Islamic countries have heightened interest in just the kind of question that this book discusses: that of how the West relates to, and assesses, the rest of the world.

Some classicists still deal with the ancient world as if archaeological evidence is of little relevance to their work. This can mean that territories or subjects for which there is little textual evidence can be marginalised or not studied at all. Similarly, many historical archaeologists, dissatisfied with their ancillary role, assert that material evidence for the ancient world can and should be studied independently.
This collection of pieces from international range of contributors explores in detail the seperation of the human past into history, archaeology and their related sub-disciplines. Each piece challenges the validity of this seperation and asks how we can move to a more holistic approach. While the focus is on the ancient world, particularly Greece and Rome, the lessons that emerge are significant for the study of any time and place.

Author Biography:
Eberhard Sauer is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Keble College and the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, as well as an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History.

The volume takes a historical approach to examine how biography has been used throughout history. It gives readers a real sense of the history of the relationship between history and biography. Useful for historians and students as it looks at different, emerging Schools of biography in the present day, allowing the complexity of the practice in the present day to be easily understood by the reader. It covers a large range of issues that historians have faced over time when using biography - such as used the problems of evidence, the subject matter, the methodological robustness and inclusiveness of biographical practice, pluralism and non-Western biographical principles and representativeness which allows the reader to get a sense of the wide range of issues that are addressed when thinking about history and biography.

We look to historians for reliable information about the past. But modern and postmodern critics have challenged history's credibility and objectivity, seeing written history as a product of contemporary culture. Can we find a way to approach history with new confidence? This book reveals the rational basis for historians' descriptions, interpretations and explanations of past events. It defends the practice of history as more reliable than has recently been acknowledged and argues that historians make their accounts of the past as fair as they can and avoid misleading their readers. It concludes by explaining and discussing postmodern criticisms of history.

We look to historians for reliable information about the past. But modern and postmodern critics have challenged credibility and objectivity, seeing written history as a product of contemporary culture. Can we find a way to approach history with new confidence? The Logic of History reveals the rational basis for historians' descriptions, interpretations and explanations of past events. C. Behan McCullagh defends the practice of history as more reliable than has recently been acknowledged. Historians, he argues, make their accounts of the past as fair as they can and avoid misleading their readers. He explains and discusses postmodern criticisms of history, providing students and teachers of history with a renewed validation of their practice. McCullagh takes the history debate to a new stage with bold replies to the major questions historians face today.

Teaching History at University examines how high-quality history teaching and learning can be achieved in today's universities worldwide. Alan Booth draws on a wide range of international research as well as the reflections and experiences of university historians, linking theory and practice. This is an essential resource for university teachers and all those who are responsible for ensuring the quality of teaching and learning policies and practices within their institutions.

This book uncovers the wealth of philosophical problems that history presents, and encourages further thought on how these issues grow out of historical questions. Its focus on the convergence of history, philosophy and social science makes it ideal for use on undergraduate courses in philosophy of history and philosophy of social science.

Beginning with an energetic and lucid discussion covering traditional issues such as epistemology and metaphysics, the author continues to explore in more detail the current debates surrounding philosophical issues of concern to both history and the social sciences. Tackling a wide range of topics such as truth, objectivity, explanation, communication and narrative, gender, deconstruction and postmodernism, the book affords students in philosophy and social science departments a deeper and wider perspective on the philosophical problems within their areas of study.

Postmodernism has significantly affected the theory and practice of history. It has induced fears about the future of historical study, but has also offered liberation from certain modernist constraints. This original and thought-provoking study looks at the context of postmodernist thought in general cultural terms as well as in relation to history.
Postmodernism in History traces philosophical precursors of postmodernism and identifies the roots of current concerns. Beverley Southgate describes the core constituents of postmodernism and provides a lucid and profound analysis of the current state of the debate. His main concern is to counter 'pomophobia' and to assert a positive future for historical study in a postmodern world.
Postmodernism in History is a valuable guide to some of the most complex questions in historical theory for students and teachers alike.

Philosophy of History is an essential introduction to a vast body of writing about history, from classical Greece and Rome to the contemporary world. M.C. Lemon maps out key debates and central concepts of philosophy of history, placing principal thinkers in the context of their times and schools of thought. Lemon explains the crucial differences between speculative philosophy as an enquiry into the content of history, and analytic philosophy of history as relating to the methods of history. The first two parts of the book trace each of these traditions, whereas the third part revisits both in the light of contemporary contributions to the discipline. This guide provides a comprehensive survey of historical thought since ancient times. Its clear terminology and lucid argument will make it an invaluable source for students and teachers alike.

Postmodernism has significantly affected the theory and practice of history. It has induced fears about the future of historical study, but has also offered liberation from certain modernist constraints. This original and thought-provoking study looks at the context of postmodernist thought in general cultural terms as well as in relation to history.
Postmodernism in History traces philosophical precursors of postmodernism and identifies the roots of current concerns. Beverley Southgate describes the core constituents of postmodernism and provides a lucid and profound analysis of the current state of the debate. His main concern is to counter `pomophobia' and to assert a positive future for historical study in a postmodern world. Postmodernism in History is a valuable guide to some of the most complex questions in historical theory for students and teachers alike.

Philosophy of History is an essential introduction to a vast body of writing about history, from classical Greece and Rome to the contemporary world. M.C. Lemon maps out key debates amd central concepts of philosophy of history, placing principal thinkers in the context of their times and schools of thought.
Lemon explains the crucial differences between speculative philosophy as an enquiry into the content of history, and analytic philosophy of history as relating to the methods of history. The first two parts of the book trace each of these traditions, whereas the third part revisits both in the light of contemporary contributions to the discipline.
This guide provides a comprehensive survey of historical thought since ancient times. Its clear terminology and lucid argument will make it an invaluable source for students and teachers alike.

The Companion to Historiography represents an original analysis of the moods and trends in historical writing. Distinguished academics explore the ideas, traditions and institutions that lie behind different perspectives on history. The thematic structure of the Companion enables topics to be read selectively or sequentially.
Key Features
* A unique exploration of Western, Asian and Oriental historiography
* Specialist contributions by distinguished academics from across the globe draw on the authority of working historians and leading experts in related disciplines such as philosophy, anthropology and archaeology
* Original and profound insights into world history through an awareness of its past formulations and emerging patterns
* Over forty-five far-ranging essays, exploring diverse subjects such as Roman history today, medieval nobility, revisionism and modern India
* Detailed information is easily accessible through the use of the Companion's extensive indexes and bibliographies

In this engaging sequel to Rethinking History, Keith Jenkins argues for a re-figuration of historical study. At the core of his survey lies the realization that objective and disinterested histories as well as historical 'truth' are unachievable. The past and questions about the nature of history remain interminably open to new and disobedient approaches.
Jenkins reassesses conventional history in a bold fashion. His committed and radical study presents new ways of 'thinking history', a new methodology and philosophy and their impact on historical practice. This volume is written for students and teachers of history, illuminating and changing the core of their discipline.

In this engagingly written sequel to Rethinking History, Keith Jenkins argues for a re-figuration of historical study. At the core of his survey lies the realization that objective and disinterested histories as well as historical 'truth' are unachievable. The past and questions about the nature of history remain interminably open to new and disobedient approaches.
Jenkins reassesses conventional history in a bold fashion. His committed and radical study presents new ways of 'thinking history', a new methodology and philosophy and their impact on historical practice.

Is the appropriate form of human action explanation causal or rather teleological? While this is a central question in analytic philosophy of action, it also has implications for questions about the differences between methods of explanation in the sciences on the one hand and in the humanities and the social sciences on the other. Additionally, this question bears on the problem of the appropriate form of explanations of past human actions, and therefore it is prominently discussed by analytic philosophers of historiography. This volume brings together causalists and anti-causalists to address enduring philosophical questions at the heart of this debate, as well as their implications for the practice of historiography. Part I considers the quarrel between causalism and anti-causalism in recent developments in the philosophy of action. Part II presents papers by causalists and anti-causalists that are more narrowly focused on the philosophy of historiography.

This is the first comprehensive English-language study of East Asian art history in a transnational context, and challenges the existing geographic, temporal, and generic paradigms that currently frame the art history of East Asia. This pioneering study proposes an important new framework that focuses on the relationship between China, Japan, and Korea. By reconsidering existing concepts of 'East Asia', and examining the porousness of boundaries in East Asian art history, the study proposes a new model for understanding trans-local artistic production - in particular the mechanics of interactions - at the turn of the 20th century.

The legend of King Arthur is one of the most persistent and powerful myths in western culture. Yet scholars today cannot agree on his dates, his location, his role, or even whether he really existed. King Arthur: Myth-making and History explores how and why historians and writers from the Middle Ages to the present day have constructed different accounts of this well-loved figure.
King Arthur: Myth-making and History illuminates and discusses some central points of debate. What role was Arthur intended to perform in the political and cultural worlds that constructed him? How did the idea of King Arthur evolve? And what did the myth of Arthur mean to both authors and their audiences? In this seminal new study, N J Higham examines in-depth the first two Arthurian texts: the History of the Britons and the Welsh Annals. He argues that historians have often been more influenced by what the idea of Arthur means in their present context than by such primary sources.
King Arthur: Myth-making and History is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the origins and evolution of the Arthurian legend.

The third volume in this international review takes "raising standards" as its central theme. Raising standards is no simple matter, either conceptually or empirically, whatever politicians might think. If it is to happen, it must draw on research and practical experience from other countries.

This important book charts the development of philosophical thinking about history over the past 250 years, combining extracts from key texts with new explanatory and critical discussion. The book is designed to make the work of thinkers such as Hume, Herder, Hegel, Dilthey, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Foucault accessible to students with no prior knowledge of Western philosophy.
An introductory section is followed by nine further chapters exploring contrasting schools of thought. The volume reveals the origins of contemporary trends in the discipline and relates wider philosophical reflections to the study of history itself. It also points to connections between philosophy of history and literary and cultural theory which have developed in recent decades.

Originally published in 1986. The theory of events presented is one that construes events to be concrete particulars; and it embodies an attempt to take seriously the idea that events are the changes that objects undergo when they change. The theory is about what an event really is, about when events are identical, about what properties events have essentially, and about what relations events bear to entities of other kinds. In addition, this book contains an account of what philosophers are up to when they provide reasons for thinking that objects belonging to metaphysically interesting kinds exist. It also gives an account of the role of criteria of identity (eg. identical sets must have the same members) in such reasons, and an account of what criteria of identity must be like in order for them to be able to play such a role.

When we look back from the vantage point of the 21st century and ask ourselves what the previous century was all about, what do we see? Our first inclination is to focus on historical events: the 20th century was the age of two devastating world wars, of totalitarian regimes and terrible atrocities like the Holocaust - "the age of extremes," to use Hobsbawm's famous phrase. But in this new book, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk argues that we will never understand the 20th century if we focus on events and ideologies. Rather, in his view, the predominant motif of the 20th century is what Badiou called a passion for the real, which manifests itself as the will to actualize the truth directly in the here and now. Drawing on his Spheres trilogy, Sloterdijk interprets the actualization of the real in the 20th century as a passion for economic and technological "antigravitation". The rise of consumerism and the easing of the burdens of human life by the constant deployment of new technologies have killed off the kind of radicalism that was rooted in the belief that power would rise from a material base of production. If the 20th century can still inspire us today, it is because the fundamental shift that it brought about opened the way for a critique of extremist reason, a post-Marxist theory of enrichment and a general economy of energy resources based on excess and dissipation. While developing his highly original interpretation of the 20th century, Sloterdijk also addresses a series of related topics including the meaning of the Anthropocene, the domestication of humans and the significance of the sea. The volume also includes major new pieces on Derrida and on Heidegger's politics. This work, by one of the most original thinkers today will appeal to students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in philosophy and critical theory.

History: What & Why? is a highly accessible introductory survey of historians' views about the nature and purpose of their subject. It offers a historical perspective and clear guide to contemporary debates about the nature and purpose of history and a discussion of the traditional model of history as an account of the past 'as it was'. It assesses the challenges to orthodox views and examines the impact of Marxism, feminism and post-colonialism on the study of history.
This second edition has been updated to reflect the continuing, and still increasing, debate surrounding these issues. In particular it discusses:
* historians' fear of postmodernism
* holocaust denial and the Irving/Lipstadt libel trial
* the future of the past in the light of the postmodern challenge.

Are historians story-tellers? Is it possible to tell true stories about the past? These are just a couple of the questions raised in this comprehensive collection of texts about philosophy, theory and methodology of writing history. Drawing together seminal texts from philosophers and historians, including Hayden White,David Carr and Frederick Olafson, this volume presents the great debate over the narrative character of history from the 1960s onwards.
The History and Narrative Reader combines theory with practice to offer a unique overview of this debate and illuminates the practical implications of these philosophical debates for the writing of history. The editor's introduction offers a succinct survey of the subject to support the readings, which explore the role of narrative in:
* historical understanding
* human action
* linguistics and structure
* the practice of history.