A Practical Guide to Studying History - by Tracey Loughran (Paperback)

About the Book

"An introduction to the fundamental skills and principles underpinning historical research and writing, and to the different contexts in which history is produced and consumed"--

Book Synopsis

*** PROSE Award Winner (2018) in the Textbook/Humanities Category ***

A Practical Guide to Studying History is the perfect guide for students embarking on degree-level study. The book:

- introduces students to the concepts of historical objectivity, frameworks and debate
- explains the differences in aims, methods and audiences for different types of history
- explores the relationship between the skills developed during a history undergraduate degree and the practice of professional history
- helps students develop the practical skills required to read historical writing critically, write good essays, and participate in historical debates
- includes study questions, further reading lists, text boxes, maps and illustrations

The book incorporates case studies taken from a range of regions and periods, reflecting the varied nature of historical study at university, and helps students to understand history, and to practice it successfully: it is an indispensable guide to studying history.

Review Quotes

A Practical Guide to Studying History should be read by every student embarking on a history degree. It offers a challenging, comprehensive and stimulating introduction to what historians do, to why and how they do it, and also to what skills students need to successfully study history at university. Its chapters, reflecting the professional experience of the authors as researchers and educators, address all the major themes that shape the study of history in today's world. Any student who reads it will acquire a sophisticated understanding of the historian's craft as both they and their lecturers should practice it.
Ultán Gillen, Teesside University, UK

This book will appeal to anyone with a general interest in history, historiography or history education.
Teaching History

This is the book I've been waiting for: a lively, engaging, sophisticated guide to the pleasures and perils of historical work. It introduces key approaches to history, gives practical guidance on research, sources and essay writing, and reminds us that there is no single roadmap into the past but rather a range of routes and pit stops. It is inspirational stuff. Loughran has drawn together passionate historians who are skilled at communicating their craft with real clarity. By the end of the book we know how to make history and also why it matters. Aimed at those starting out on undergraduate study, the book also speaks to anyone interested in doing historical work and indeed those already immersed in it.
Matt Cook, Birkbeck, University of London, UK