Writing the History of Crime

by Paul Knepper

Writing the History of Crime investigates the development of historical writing on the subject of crime and its wider place in social and cultural history. It examines long-standing and emerging traditions in history writing, with separate chapters on legal and scientific approaches, as well as on urban, Marxist, gender and empire history. Each chapter then explores these historical approaches in relation to crime, paying particular attention to the relationship between theory and the interpretation of evidence.

Rather than a timeline for the historical appearance of ideas about crime or a catalogue of the range of topics that comprise the subject matter, Writing the History of Crime reveals the ideas behind crime as a subject of historical investigation; it looks at how these ideas generate questions that may be asked about the past and the way in which these questions are answered. This is a crucial analysis for anyone interested in the history of crime, the historiography of social history or the art of history writing more broadly.

Genres: History

248 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2015

About the author

Paul E. Knepper is a lecturer in the Department of Sociological Studies and a member of the Centre for Criminological Research at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Reviews

[jose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Varmasti kattava ja toimiva teos jos olisi ymmärtänyt mitä lukee

[Liz De Coster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a historiography, leaning towards annotated bibliography territory at times. I preferred the few moments where Knepper's writing delved more deeply into the major works, probably because I'm not a crime historian and those sections felt more accessible.

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and comprehensive overview of main issues of debate among historians pertaining to the history of crime.