Discovering the Western Past: A Look at the Evidence, Volume II: Since 1500 Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E.; Ruff, Julius and Wheeler, William Bruce

This successful Western history version of the popular Discovering series provides a broad range of both visual and written sources. The unique pedagogical framework includes The Problem, Sources and Method, The Evidence, Questions to Consider, and Epilogue and Evaluation sections in each chapter. This structure promotes critical thinking, sharpens analytical skills, and builds student interest in the subject matter. The text emphasizes historical study as interpretation rather than memorization of data, with actual documents and artifacts from which students develop answers to historical questions.

Merry Wiesner-Hanks (Chair, Department of History, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1979. She has published WORKING WOMEN IN RENAISSANCE GERMANY (Rutgers, 1986) as well as numerous articles on women and the Reformation and urban social history. She is co-author of DISCOVERING THE GLOBAL PAST (2012), DISCOVERING THE WESTERN PAST (2008), DISCOVERING THE MEDIEVAL PAST (2003), DISCOVERING THE ANCIENT PAST (2005), DISCOVERING THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY WORLD (2005), and BECOMING VISIBLE: WOMEN IN EUROPEAN HISTORY (1998). She is also the General Editor of the PROBLEMS IN EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION series.

Julius Ruff (Marquette University) received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina 1979. He is the author of Crime, Justice and Public Order in Old Regime France (Croom Helm, 1984) in addition to many articles and book reviews.

William Bruce Wheeler received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1967. He is co-author of DISCOVERING THE GLOBAL PAST (2012), DISCOVERING THE AMERICAN PAST (2012), and DISCOVERING THE WESTERN PAST (2008). He has also written books on Tennessee history and the Tellico Dam.