The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study of Modern History (4th Edition)

The essential introduction to the practice of history - revised with new features to ensure it is even more popular with students. Tosh is consistently the best-selling Longman History textbook. The last 3 editions have achieved total sales of over 83,000 copies. The use of photos of significant people and events help make the text more lively. New layout and design enables readers to understand themes more quickly.

Of previous editions:

“An excellent introduction to methodology in history which will be read with advantage by historians at any stage of their development.”

History

“Can easily be handled by the general reader wanting to know what is happening to history today.”

British Book News

This famous study examines important questions about historians and their work - Why do we study history? How do we construct our knowledge of the past? What are the limitations of historical evidence? What different kinds of history are being written today?

The subjects covered are difficult and sometimes controversial but John Tosh has proved himself an admirable guide in this celebrated work. His cool eye and lively pen make the issues clear and involving; and he makes the reader vividly aware of just how far our historical knowledge is conditioned by the character of the sources and by the methods of the historians who work on them.

In this 4th edition the main text is made even more accessible through a number of new features:

• Chapter opening summaries
• Marginal glosses for difficult terms and concepts
• Boxed sections at the end of each chapter dedicated to key events and people
• Illustrative material throughout the text
• Suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter
• Section headings to facilitate navigation around the book

John Tosh is Professor of History at Roehampton University.

Seán Lang is Research Fellow in History at Anglia Polytechnic University.

"This study examines important questions about historians and their work. In this fourth edition the main text is made more accessible through a number of new features: chapter opening summaries; marginal glosses for unfamiliar terms and concepts; boxed sections at the end of each chapter dedicated to key events and people; illustrative material throughout the book; suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter; and section headings to facilitate navigation around the book."--BOOK JACKET Why do we study history? How do we construct our knowledge of the past? How objective can it be? Addressing these key questions, this study offers a short and clear introduction to the methods and nature of historical research.