The Pursuit of History: Aims, methods and new directions in the study of history - Softcover

 “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 exceptionally insightful book makes the study of history a joy to read. Tosh maps out the major questions and developments in historiography with extraordinary clarity, guiding the reader on debates and methods of research in concise and informative ways. His continued attention to up-dating the book without doubt makes it a critical text for undergraduates and an essential resource for postgraduates and scholars."

Catherine Dewhirst, University of Southern Queensland, Australia

Nicholas Karn, University of Southampton, UK

Thomas W. Gallant, University of California, San Diego, USA

Richard Sheldon, University of Bristol, UK

William L. Chew III, Vesalius College, Brussels, Belgium

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 sixth edition has been revised and updated with key new material including:

- a brand new chapter on public history

- sections on digitised sources and historical controversy

- discussion of topics including transnational history and the nature of the archive

- an expanded range of examples and case studies

- a comprehensive companion website providing valuable supporting material, study questions and a bank of primary sources.

Lucid and engaging, this 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 and suggestions for further reading. Along with its companion website, this is an essential guide to the theory and practice of history.