Reading History

by Michael Burger

Overview

History students read a lot. They read primary sources. They read specialized articles and monographs. They sometimes read popular histories. And they read textbooks. Yet students are beginners, and as beginners they need to learn the differences among various kinds of readings – their natures, their challenges, and the unique expectations one needs to bring to each of them.

Reading History is a practical guide to help students read better. Uniquely designed with the author's engaging explanations in the margins, the book describes primary sources across various genres, including documents of practice, treatises, and literary works, as well as secondary sources such as textbooks, articles, and monographs. An appendix contains tips and questions for reading primary or secondary sources.

Full of practical advice and hands-on training that allows students to be successful, Reading History will cultivate a wider appreciation for the discipline of history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487523879
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	12/21/2021
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	739,078
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Michael Burger is a professor of history at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Table of Contents

Preface
Figures and Table

Part I: Introduction

1. Introduction

Part II: Primary Sources

2. From Manuscript to Edition

2.1 Editing
2.2 Kinds of Editions: Print and Online
2.3 Translations

3. Primary Source Basics and Two Documents of Practice

3.1 Questions about the Source
3.2 Drawing Historical Conclusions: Questions about the World beyond the Source
3.3 Reading against the Larger Historical Context
3.4 Documents of Practice

4. Narrative Sources and Cognate Sources

5. Literary Sources and Treatises

5.1 Literary Sources
5.2 Treatises

6. Material Evidence and Comparing Sources

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Art
6.3 Archaeological Evidence

Part III: Secondary Sources

7. Historians Presenting Original Research: Monographs and Articles

8. Textbooks and Popular History

8.1 Textbooks
8.2 Popular History
8.3 Online Secondary Sources

Part IV: Other Matters

9. Counting: Primary Sources and Secondary Sources

10. What Is in It for You?

Appendix: Questions and Tips

Suggestions for Further Reading

What People are Saying About This

Katherine L. French

"In Reading History Michael Burger pulls back the curtain on what it takes to be a historian. With wide-ranging and diverse examples, he explains and illustrates with humor and compassion the practical and intellectual skills that historians bring to their analysis of primary and secondary sources. Lucidly written, the book takes students through the process, challenges, and rewards of thinking and writing about history, challenging them to make these practices their own.

Philippa Hoskin

"Reading History is bound to be welcomed by both students who are thinking about the nature and use of historical sources, and their teachers. Michael Burger writes succinctly, covering a wide range of material both primary and secondary and gives a sound grounding to those beginning serious historical study.."

Harold Drake

"'Students should spend more time reading things other than this book.' True to his word, Michael Burger keeps his wisdom to a modest length. But wisdom there is. Between this opening salvo and his final chapter, students will learn how to think critically about history — and everything else."

Editorial Reviews

"In Reading History Michael Burger pulls back the curtain on what it takes to be a historian. With wide-ranging and diverse examples, he explains and illustrates with humor and compassion the practical and intellectual skills that historians bring to their analysis of primary and secondary sources. Lucidly written, the book takes students through the process, challenges, and rewards of thinking and writing about history, challenging them to make these practices their own.—Katherine L. French, University of Michigan
"'Students should spend more time reading things other than this book.' True to his word, Michael Burger keeps his wisdom to a modest length. But wisdom there is. Between this opening salvo and his final chapter, students will learn how to think critically about history – and everything else."—Harold Drake, University of California, Santa Barbara
"Reading History is bound to be welcomed by both students who are thinking about the nature and use of historical sources, and their teachers. Michael Burger writes succinctly, covering a wide range of material both primary and secondary and gives a sound grounding to those beginning serious historical study.."—Philippa Hoskin, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge

From the Publisher