Hello! I'm a first-year university history student, and I came here to ask if any historians who work in academia/postgrads/or even people who studied history themselves at uni have any book suggestions for improving my history essay writing. I was also wondering if there is a book out there that would be good for referencing when it comes to doing historiographical analysis, etc. Like a sort of handbook for studying history, not necessarily a handbook to doing historical research of a specific period, like the Oxford Handbook of Environmental History, for example. Any recommendations are welcome! I'd also be okay with learning about books that would be good to have when studying history at university in general. Thanks!
There is actually something that fits exactly that description: A Pocket Guide To Writing In History by Mary Lynn Rampolla
I'm sure that there are historians and educators who have their critiques. That's the nature of academia. However, as a baseline for undergrads, it's an excellent starting point. It covers how to find and discuss sources, normal conventions in historical writing, citations and avoiding plagiarism, and how to structure a piece of historical writing. Probably more importantly, it explains how to write a thesis. Some of these things, especially niche conventions, are things that a lot of professors are looking for but aren't great at communicating.
It's a very popular teaching tool, so it might already be part of the long-term curriculum at your university, but that doesn't always mean it's implemented at the right time. If you know you're going to be majoring in history (or even something related like area studies) it's a worthwhile tool to have from the start.
The single best handbook for learning the research process and writing research papers is 'A Manual for Writers' by Kate Turabian. It's the gold standard for humanities writing, and you'll likely be required to use it for citations as well. For general writing advice, Strunk & White's 'The Elements of Style' has never gone out of style.
I can't speak to specific guides for writing historiographical analysis, but many universities have put out informal guides for students.
Source: I'm a history graduate student who also studied history in undergrad.
My university assigns The Houses of History for the compulsory historiography course, which might come in handy for you, although it's more about the history of history as a discipline.
I agree with the Turabian recommendation entirely. The exercises are great and many of them I keep on note cards next to my desk to re-do when I’m feeling stuck. Excellent resource.
I also encourage you to buy (if you can) and re-read history books you enjoy, because those are an important place to learn from as well. When you can, ask different professors about them and their faults and strengths, I have found that reframing the same book in different ways really helped me as a writer and a reader. Fostering those mentorship connections will get you far and help you grow.
For me it was reading the books where I thought ‘wow this is really good’ and also ‘maybe I have a shot at writing something like this someday’ that was the most impactful.
I think the best book about writing history, both for its contents and the circumstances of its production, is Marc Bloch’s “The Historian’s Craft.”
The book was written by Bloch in 1941 and 1942, reflecting on the purpose and process of historical writing, as he fought as a member of the French Resistance. He was captured, tortured, and executed by the Gestapo in 1944 and the book was published posthumously.
Bloch, before the war, was perhaps the greatest medieval historian of his era, and the founder of the “Annales school” of history, which focused on bottom up social history.
If he were catholic they’d maybe make him the patron saint of history, a true martyr.
I’m a fan of Richard Marius’ book “A Short Guide to Writing about History” and “From reliable sources” by Martha Howell. Both are thoughtful and accessible resources I often return to. Along with that, I would recommend reading “That Noble Dream: The "Objectivity Question" and the American Historical Profession.” It’s dense, but it’s really useful for understanding how historical research and theory has changed over time.