History: An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice

Demystifying the subject with clarity and verve, History: An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice familiarizes the reader with the varied spectrum of historical approaches in a balanced, comprehensive and engaging manner. Global in scope, and covering a wide range of topics from the ancient and medieval worlds to the twenty-first century, it explores historical perspectives not only from historiography itself, but from related areas such as literature, sociology, geography and anthropology.

Clearly written, accessible and student-friendly, this second edition is fully updated throughout to include:

• An increased spread of case studies from beyond Europe, especially from American and imperial histories.
• New chapters on important and growing areas of historical inquiry, such as environmental history and digital history
• Expanded sections on political, cultural and social history
• More discussion of non-traditional forms of historical representation and knowledge like film, fiction and video games.

Accompanied by a new companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/claus) containing valuable supporting material for students and instructors such as discussion questions, further reading and web links, this book is an essential introduction for all students of historical theory and method.

Dr Peter Claus is Access Fellow and Lecturer in History, Pembroke College, University of Oxford. His doctoral research on the Corporation of London was followed by work on the history of the City and East end of London, which developed into an interest in unofficial forms of urban social investigation in the metropolis along with a commitment to outreach, public history and the democratisation of the archive. This holistic approach to the study, practice and teaching of history has prompted an accessible and comprehensive introduction to historiography which draws on an engagement with diverse historical constituencies.

Professor John Marriott is Senior Associate, also at Pembroke College, Oxford. His research has focused on London and Empire with a particular emphasis on the nexus between East London and India since the eighteenth century. His numerous books include The Culture of Labourism: The East End between the Wars (1991, The Other Empire: Metropolis, India and Progress in the Colonial Imagination (2003), Beyond the Tower: a History of East London (2011) and The Ashgate Research Companion to Modern Imperial Histories (2012), co-edited with Professor Philippa Levine. He is now working on the origins of colonial land reform in the seventeenth century, and the demands of young twins.