Studying history, a major new book by two practising historians, offers students a clearly-presented and comprehensive overview of the dynamic field of historical enquiry. Divided into three parts, on historiography, methodology and study skills, this is the first book to ally discussion of the philosophy and practice of history with useful guidance on how to study the subject more effectively. Studying History is an ideal introduction for A-level and undergraduate history students, as it presents the most important and up-to-date material in an accessible and practical way.
Jeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
Covers very broadly historical approaches (chronologically- e.g whig history, the Annales school), as well as historical lens and theories. A good general approach to studying history at a undergrad level is present at the back. I found it a bit simplistic and brief, although this is clearly a decision by the authors to make such a text readable for those about to study history. Perhaps something to use as a quick refresher for those of us about to enter university in autumn.
Because I'm the worst History student who ever lived, I'd never read this cover to cover- only chapters here and there- until now, a year after graduating :D
Helpful but not at all student-friendly as it advertised itself to be. A lot of the information seemed irrelevant too unless your course was specifically for history theory. Also it was pretty uninspiring, even reading it at a pace of around a dozen pages a time was too mind-numbing to cope with. On the plus side, the section about essay-writing was very good and the section on theories and concepts was thorough but quite dull and difficult to understand - especially as this is meant for a complete novice to history according to the reviews.
Excellent introduction to History for first year undergraduates. Takes you on a logical journey into history as a concept, historiographies and then methodologies, before moving onto the reality of studying history as an undergraduate; encompassing everything from reading, to essay writing, to exams and dissertations. Most chapters & sections are relatively short but mostly concise and always backed up with plenty of examples and citations - which is exactly how you want it as a first year. Highly recommended.
No exact;y a gripping read but actually both interesting & useful. Interesting; the outline of the development of history and the various historiographical approaches. Useful; stuff on taking notes and writing essays - even as an old hand at this stuff I found it useful
Good book to give a general overview of history as a discipline. Sections on theory and method very helpful - good basis for further reading and some practical notes on reading and dissertation planning. I skim med through to refresh when I came to do my MA.