New perspectives on historical writing - Peter Burke

The way in which history is written has changed quite dramatically – so much so that the phrase ?the new history? is now commonly used by historians. But what is the new history and how ?new? is it? Is it a temporary fashion or a long–term trend? Will it – or should it – replace traditional history, or can the two coexist in peace?

This second edition of New Perspectives on Historical Writing sets out to answer these questions, examining the most exciting and important developments in the methodology and practice of history. Concentrating on some of the more recent movements, it sets out to place these within the context of long–term changes in the writing of history. Peter Burke is joined here by a distinguished group of internationally renowned historians including Robert Darnton, Ivan Gaskell, Richard Grove, Giovanni Levi, Roy Porter, Gwyn Prins, Joan Scott, Jim Sharpe, Richard Tuck and Henk Wesseling. The contributions examine a wide range of interdisciplinary areas of historical research, including women?s history, history ?from below?, the history of reading, oral history, the history of the body, microhistory, the history of events, the ?new history?, the history of images, political history and overseas history. This volume has been thoroughly revised and updated for the second edition, and includes an entirely new chapter on environmental history.

New Perspectives on Historical Writing is a timely and important account of the new approaches to the writing of history. It has become a key reference work and is used by students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines: history and historiography, women?s studies, anthropology, sociology, politics and literature.