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Reading History

Michael Burger

$80.95

Paperback

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English
University of Toronto Press
01 May 2022
Short and succinct, Reading History introduces students to different kinds of historical writing, acting as a guide to help them read and understand primary and secondary sources.

History students read a lot. They read primary sources. They read specialised articles and monographs. They sometimes read popular histories. And they read textbooks. Yet students are beginners, and as beginners they need to learn the differences among various kinds of readings

their natures, their challenges, and the unique expectations one needs to bring to each of them.

Reading History is a practical guide to help students read better. Uniquely designed with the author's engaging explanations in the margins, the book describes primary sources across various genres, including documents of practice, treatises, and literary works, as well as secondary sources such as textbooks, articles, and monographs. An appendix contains tips and questions for reading primary or secondary sources.

Full of practical advice and hands-on training that allows students to be successful, Reading History will cultivate a wider appreciation for the discipline of history.
By:  
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Country of Publication:   Canada
Dimensions:   Height: 254mm,  Width: 203mm,  Spine: 10mm
Weight:   360g
ISBN:   9781487523879
ISBN 10:   1487523874
Pages:   144
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Primary ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Preface Figures and Table Part I: Introduction 1. Introduction Part II: Primary Sources 2. From Manuscript to Edition 2.1 Editing 2.2 Kinds of Editions: Print and Online 2.3 Translations 3. Primary Source Basics and Two Documents of Practice 3.1 Questions about the Source 3.2 Drawing Historical Conclusions: Questions about the World beyond the Source 3.3 Reading against the Larger Historical Context 3.4 Documents of Practice 4. Narrative Sources and Cognate Sources 5. Literary Sources and Treatises 5.1 Literary Sources 5.2 Treatises 6. Material Evidence and Comparing Sources 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Art 6.3 Archaeological Evidence Part III: Secondary Sources 7. Historians Presenting Original Research: Monographs and Articles 8. Textbooks and Popular History 8.1 Textbooks 8.2 Popular History 8.3 Online Secondary Sources Part IV: Other Matters 9. Counting: Primary Sources and Secondary Sources 10. What Is in It for You? Appendix: Questions and Tips Suggestions for Further Reading

Michael Burger is a professor of history at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Reviews for Reading History

Reading History is bound to be welcomed by both students who are thinking about the nature and use of historical sources, and their teachers. Michael Burger writes succinctly, covering a wide range of material both primary and secondary and gives a sound grounding to those beginning serious historical study.. - Philippa Hoskin, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge 'Students should spend more time reading things other than this book.' True to his word, Michael Burger keeps his wisdom to a modest length. But wisdom there is. Between this opening salvo and his final chapter, students will learn how to think critically about history - and everything else. - Harold Drake, University of California, Santa Barbara In Reading History Michael Burger pulls back the curtain on what it takes to be a historian. With wide-ranging and diverse examples, he explains and illustrates with humor and compassion the practical and intellectual skills that historians bring to their analysis of primary and secondary sources. Lucidly written, the book takes students through the process, challenges, and rewards of thinking and writing about history, challenging them to make these practices their own. - Katherine L. French, University of Michigan


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