Description
Book SynopsisHistory students read a lot. They read primary sources. They read specialized 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
Table of Contents
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
