Historiography

This study presents the key ideas that define History, introducing the reader to the defining practices that characterize the subject.The final three chapters the History of Nazism; Gender History; and Cultural History seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines develop in response to changes within society at large.

This study presents the key ideas that define History, introducing the reader to the defining practices that characterize the subject.The final three chapters the History of Nazism; Gender History; and Cultural History seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines develop in response to changes within society at large.

Historiography can be a daunting term for those not familiar with it. This book presents the key ideas behind the term, in a clear and accessible fashion. The opening chapters introduce the reader to the practices that characterise the subject, while the final chapters address the History of Nazism, Gender History and Cultural History, and seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines grow and develop in response to changes within society at large.This book aims to show that History is not simply an academic subject, but an active and contested factor shaping the nature of the societies we live in. As politicians, in particular, seek to validate their actions by drawing parallels between the past and present, an ability to test these claims for logic and coherence, and to assess the evidence used to support them becomes not simply a valuable academic skill, but a vital requirement for active citizenship.

Chapter one Introduction: history and historiographyChapter two Academic historyChapter three Engaging with historiographyChapter four The essay and historiographyChapter five Gender and historyChapter six Historiography and the NazisChapter seven Cultural history and MarxismChapter eight ConclusionIndex