The Methods and Skills of History: A Practical Guide
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Book Overview
Like its predecessors, the third edition of one of our most popular texts, The Methods and Skills of History: A Practical Guide, is a dynamic text/workbook that combines theory with "hands on" practice, providing engaging essays, documents, and exercises designed to make history more meaningful and accessible to student readers--whether they are majoring in history, taking a history course as an elective, or simply reading history on their own--as well as strengthen their critical-thinking and communication skills. While this third edition retains the essence of its highly successful predecessor in the form of its practical, timely advice on research and writing and "field-tested" exercises, it features important modifications as well, including a reorganization of the chapters to progress even more smoothly from a theoretical discussion of the nature of history (Part I), to practical considerations involved in confronting historical accounts (Part II) to actually "doing" history (Part III). The final section (Part IV) provides a brief overview of how history as a discipline evolved and how it relates to other academic disciplines, as well as appendices that comprise interesting historical documents and helpful source references and bibliographies.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0882952722
ISBN13:9780882952727
Release Date:December 2009
Publisher:Harlan Davidson
Length:282 Pages
Weight:1.59 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 8.4" x 10.8"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Wonderful and Efficiant
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
This book was exactly as described and so much more. It is well written, well organized, and does a great job keeping readers intrested. It is so wonderful and efficiant to count on products such as this.
Useful if limited; we need more like it
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Used this in an undergraduate class at a good liberal arts school. Many students found the workbook exercises simplistic. I like it, though, because it illustrates practical history skills using real historical examples. I am aware of no other book that does this. I particularly like the emphasis on the research process (lots of emphasis on looping back between research and writing), and analytical skills (where making categories looms large). My recommendation is to use the chapters loosely, adapting them to your own needs. When I use it again, I will use the material provided as the basis for more substantive short writing assignments.
Adaptable to all student levels
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I've used this book for years now for both undergraduates and graduates, with great success. The new 2000 edition is even better (except for a too-brief section on films as historical sources.) The updating with regard to libraries is especially good, and the section on statistics is appropriately demanding. The essay assignment based upon the Missouri Fur Trade readily uncovers problems and personal bias in students' work. Though written for undergrads, this guide is excellent for new grad students as a way of identifying weaknesses and building consistent skills. I require graduate students to probe more deeply in responding to the exercises, and they all agree it is a great workbook, even though it seems too basic to them at first glance!
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