Historiography can be a daunting term for those not familiar with it. This book presents the key ideas behind the term, in a clear and accessible fashion. The opening chapters introduce the reader to the practices that characterise the subject, while the final chapters address the History of Nazism, Gender History and Cultural History, and seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines grow and develop in response to changes within society at large. This book aims to show that History is not simply an academic subject, but an active and contested factor shaping the nature of the societies we live in. As politicians, in particular, seek to validate their actions by drawing parallels between the past and present, an ability to test these claims for logic and coherence, and to assess the evidence used to support them becomes not simply a valuable academic skill, but a vital requirement for active citizenship. "Lively and well-written, this book provides a convenient introduction to historiography and the need to take account of it that students will feel comfortable with and relate to quite readily. The text works well partly because it never strays far from concrete examples which connect any generalizations to more accessible specifics." --Professor Roger Richardson, the University of Winchester. "This book is a very useful introduction to historiography, dealing with basic questions of historiography and historical theory in a lucid way. It will be helpful to A level students, first year undergraduates and the increasing number of students studying history in languages departments with no history background. I would certainly recommend this book to my students." --Professor Stefan Berger, University of Manchester This study presents the key ideas that define History, introducing the reader to the defining practices that characterize the subject. Historiography can be a daunting term for those not familiar with it. This book presents the key ideas behind the term, in a clear and accessible fashion. The opening chapters introduce the reader to the practices that characterise the subject, while the final chapters address the History of Nazism, Gender History and Cultural History, and seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines grow and develop in response to changes within society at large. This book aims to show that History is not simply an academic subject, but an active and contested factor shaping the nature of the societies we live in. As politicians, in particular, seek to validate their actions by drawing parallels between the past and present, an ability to test these claims for logic and coherence, and to assess the evidence used to support them becomes not simply a valuable academic skill, but a vital requirement for active citizenship. Historiography can be a daunting term for those not familiar with it. This book presents the key ideas behind the term, in a clear and accessible fashion. The opening chapters introduce the reader to the practices that characterise the subject, while the final chapters address the History of Nazism, Gender History and Cultural History, and seek to demonstrate that the historiographies of these sub-disciplines grow and develop in response to changes within society at large. This book aims to show that History is not simply an academic subject, but an active and contested factor shaping the nature of the societies we live in. As politicians, in particular, seek to validate their actions by drawing parallels between the past and present, an ability to test these claims for logic and coherence, and to assess the evidence used to support them becomes not simply a valuable academic skill, but a vital requirement for active citizenship. Christopher Parker was formerly Professor of History at Edge Hill University