Making History

"Making History" is a comprehensive textbook which explores the practice of history, historical tradition and the theories which surround it. Discussing the development and growth of history as a discipline and of the profession of the historian, the book encompasses a huge diversity of influences, and is organized around the following themes:
* The Professionalization of History: A study of the institutionalization and organization of history, including methodology, 'scientific' history and the problem of objectivity, and the primacy of political history
* Challenges to the Statist Paradigm: An assessment of the most significant movements in historical scholarship in the last century, including the Annales School, and the development of social and economic history
* Interdisciplinarity: An enquiry into the increasingly interdisciplinary trends in scholarship, revealing the interconnections between history, archaeology, psychoanalysis, sociology, anthropology, and literature; scholars from non-historical disciplines have contributed to provide a unique approach to a controversial debate
* Social Movements and Theory into History: An investigation into the penetration of theory into historical practice, examining the social movements and ideologies that propelled the change, including Marxism, post-modernism and gender history.
* Beyond the Academy: An exploration of the changes in historical practice with reference to film, 'amateur' history, heritage and popular culture.
With a conclusion that draws these issues together in an assessment of the relationship between history, power and politics, Making History offers a clear and indispensable guide to the subject for students of historiography, and theory and method in history.