History: A Very Short Introduction

John Arnold

OUP Oxford, Feb 24, 2000 - History - 134 pages

There are many stories we can tell about the past, and we are not, perhaps, as free as we might imagine in our choice of which stories to tell, or where those stories end. John Arnold's addition to Oxford's popular Very Short Introductions series is a stimulating essay about how people study and understand history. The book begins by inviting us to think about various questions provoked by our investigation of history, and then explores the ways in which these questions have been answered in the past. Such key concepts as causation, interpretation, and periodization are introduced by way of concrete examples of how historians work, thus giving the reader a sense of the excitement implicit in discovering the past--and ourselves.

The aim throughout History: A Very Short Introduction is to discuss theories of history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than delve into specific periods. This is a book that will appeal to all students and general readers with an interest in history or historiography.

About the Series:
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

Contents

• Questions about murder and history: 1
• From the tails of dolphins to the tower of politics: 15
• How it really was truth archives and the love of old things: 35
• Voices and silences: 58
• Journeys of a thousand miles: 80
• The killing of cats or is the past a foreign country?: 94
• The telling of truth: 110
• References: 125
• Further Reading: 129
• Index: 133

About the author

John H. Arnold is Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, specializing in the medieval period and the philosophy of history. His publications include 'Nasty Histories: Medievalism and Horror' in History and Heritage: Consuming the Past in Contemporary Culture (ed. John Arnold, K. Davies, and S. Ditchfield).

Bibliographic information

• Title: History: A Very Short Introduction; OUP E-Books; Volume 16 of Very Short Introductions, ISSN 2399-7168
• Author: John Arnold
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2000
• ISBN: 019285352X, 9780192853523
• Length: 134 pages
• Subjects: History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies); History / General; History / Historiography