A core of undergraduates readily see the purpose of their study of historical theory, but a substantial number, in this still most empirical of disciplines, are skeptical about its value. Recognizing this, Walker has designed a volume that not only provides coverage of some of the most influential theoretical currents to have shaped history in recent decades but also demonstrates in a concrete way, by reference to particular pieces of historical writing on a variety of key topics, how it has happened. A notable feature of the book is its concentration upon the early modern period, which...

This book surveys non-traditional subjects and approaches that have become part of the mainstream discipline of medieval history. Within each section are essays on subjects such as the social self, use of psychoanalysis, and sex and gender in medieval life. This text clearly articulates key concepts, defines critical vocabulary and demonstrates how postmodern theories, which have influenced all areas of the humanistic disciplines in recent years, are applied to the study of medieval history in practice, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about the meaning of historical evidence...

Writing the History of Crime investigates the development of historical writing on the subject of crime and its wider place in social and cultural history. It examines long-standing and emerging traditions in history writing, with separate chapters on legal and scientific approaches, as well as on urban, Marxist, gender and empire history. Each chapter then explores these historical approaches in relation to crime, paying particular attention to the relationship between theory and the interpretation of evidence.

Rather than a timeline for the historical appearance of ideas...