A good introductory book for methodology of history?

by gorba

When I read historical books or historical claims anywhere, I feel I have no way to assess the validity of the claims made. Do they have the facts correct? Do they interpret the facts in a reasonable way? Are there different schools of history which could offer an alternative explanation or a different way of understanding the issue? All I can do is believe what is being said. I would like to correct this. What book would you recommend for getting an understanding on the methodology of history, so I can be not just a passive absorber but a critical reader?

Starwarsnerd222

Greetings! Being a critical reader of history can be a bit daunting at first, and the mass of "-isms", "-ists" and schools of historical writing can be rather hard to wrap one's head around initially. However, there are some great resources right here on AskHistorians to get you situated and started on historical methodology. Exempli gratia - the following pair of Monday Methods discussions in the AH archives. One on how to read an academic book, and another on critical reading of historical literature. If you'd like to get your brain stuck into the sea of history writing however, then consider the following works on historiography, all of which (to varying depth and detail) contain great overviews of the various methodologies of history and the schools of the discipline. Note that these are adapted from an earlier response. More books with excellent overviews can be found on the AH reading list for historiography.

  • History: A Very Short Introduction by John Arnold: This entry in the Very Short Introduction series is a great entry point to the "landscape" of history if you will. Whilst Arnold does not actually put forward another school of historical thought or spend too much time analysing one particular theory, he does do an excellent job of surveying the "scenery" of historiography if you will. A fairly short read (clocking in at just shy of 140 pages with sources), it will serve as a good bit of foundation and get your mind asking the questions about how historians go about studying the past.
  • What Is History? by Edward Hallett Carr: The late E.H Carr's marvel of a work on historical theory, this book is definitely more on the argumentative side of writing about historical theory. Carr's delivery of his beliefs and analysis of previous historical movements is exemplary, though be prepared to spend a bit of time getting through the (nonetheless beautiful and downright magnificent) prose to the "real message" in each chapter. An older book for sure (published 1961), but one which remains influential in the world of historical theory today.
  • The New Nature of History by Arthur Marwick: This book balances a discussion on the historical theories which have emerged throughout the years alongside a more general discourse on the practice of history as a discipline. I found it a bit refreshing after reading Carr's rhetoric-heavy work, though it is a sizable book (some 400 pages or so) so consider setting aside some time for just the key chapters you might find useful.
  • Deconstructing History by Alun Munslow: Another sizable work here, but one which is also more for the advanced student of historical theory. Munslow's focus is on the analysis and evaluation of several big historical schools of thought (deconstructionism, post-structuralist, reconstructionism and the like). The language he uses can also be a bit confusing at times, and is definitely argument-heavy, so perhaps set aside this book for a skim and scan once you've got the foundations on historical theory down.
  • The Pursuit of History by John Tosh and Sean Lang: This is again one of the more "practice of history" books, with chapters dedicated to discussions on sources, interpretations of the past, and accompanied by the relevant historiographical schools where appropriate. An interesting book nonetheless, though not as heavy on the historical theory as Munslow, Carr, or even Marwick.
  • The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past by John Lewis Gaddis: Gaddis is focussed on what it means to "think like a historian" here and to see the world of today through the eyes of yesterday. He also does take some time (and pages) to discuss the social theory of historiography, while also discussing the other schools as well, charting their development and basic premises without getting too complicated in the rhetoric

If I had to recommend a trio of books to read, it'd be Gaddis' work, Arnold's introduction, and Carr's writing. The rest are still helpful in their own ways regardless, so the choice of where you start on this journey of historical writing is ultimately dependent on your knowledge so far and where you'd like to broaden your horizons first. Happy history reading!

Edit: Had to remove a link to PDFs of several of the books above to avoid a strike by Reddit Terms of Services (none of us would like that!). Feel free to pm me for other resource recommendations as well.