Product Description

There are many stories we can tell about the past, and we are not, perhaps, as free as we might imagine in our choice of which stories to tell, or where those stories end. John Arnold's Very Short Introduction is a stimulating essay about how we study and understand history. The book begins by inviting us to think about various questions provoked by our investigation of history, and explores the ways these questions have been answered in the past. Concepts such as causation, interpretation, and periodization, are introduced by means of concrete examples of how historians work, giving the reader a sense of the excitement of discovering not only the past, but also ourselves.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24126 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

About the Author
John Arnold teaches history at the University of East Anglia, specializing in the medieval period and the philosophy of history. His publications include 'Nasty Histories: Medievalism and Horror' in History and Heritage: Consuming the Past in Contemporary Culture (ed. John Arnold, K. Davies, and S. Ditchfield).

Customer Reviews

A must for anyone who's even vaguely interested in history.
This is a lively, provocative book. Arnold introduces, in a very personable and readable manner, some central questions about what history is, and can claim to be, and how it can be "done". He explores these questions through some entertaining and refreshing examples of historical source material.

Arnold strikes a balance that carries the reader through the complexities of the issues at hand without descending into patronising simplification, or bewildering jargon. He obviously has a passion for his subject, and this comes across very strongly in the book.

If you think history is all "kings and battles" and BBC2 programmes about archaeology, read this book- it might change your mind.

A Short History of History
Arnold takes 'historiography' to be the process of writing history, and 'history' to be the result of that process, i.e. to be a set of true stories about the past. If you enjoy reading history, then you should read at least something about historiography, to help you evaluate and interpret what you read. This short introduction to the subject is probably as good a place as any to start and for many readers will be as much historiography as they think they need.

Major figures such as Thucydides and von Ranke are discussed and central issues in the philosophy of history, such as the extent to which people of other times were essentially different from us, are introduced. Arnold presents a wide range of opinions on these various topics, but has a bias toward the politically correct.

His style is readable, if sometimes clumsy, but overall this little book succeeds admirably in its task and contains a wealth of information and opinion. It is recommended for anyone wanting to get beyond the 'true stories' to what history really is.

Essential reading for anyone interested in History
This is an excellent, well written and thought provoking book about what it might mean to do History (and most other things). Students and readers of all ages will find it a valuable aid to reaching an understanding of the many different kinds of history there are and of how to go about choosing, reading and enjoying them.