The Pursuit of History - Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study of History (Paperback, 3rd Edition)

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.

History does not stand still, and this updated seventh edition deals with complex and wide-ranging material in a clear and accessible way that is up-to-date with current historiographical trends. A fuller treatment is given to the importance of digitization both in the section on source criticism and in relation to public history, reflecting its growing importance within historical study. Both the text and references have been expanded to include a fuller range of both American and global scholarship, and the book concludes with a forthright reminder that historical perspective illuminates major problems in the present.

Lucid and engaging, this edition retains the user-friendly features that make it a favourite with both students and lecturers, including marginal glosses, illustrations and suggestions for further reading. Along with its companion website, this is an essential guide to the theory and practice of history.

Table of Contents

1. Historical 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

12. History Beyond Academia

13. Conclusion: The Topicality of History

General

Imprint:	Taylor & Francis
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	August 2021
First published:	2022
Authors:	John Tosh
Dimensions:	246 x 174 x 22mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	324
Edition:	3rd Edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-367-90246-9
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > Theory & methods > General Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > Theory & methods > General Books > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Promotions
LSN:	0-367-90246-X
Barcode:	9780367902469

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