History: A Very Short Introduction - John H. Arnold

Written by John H. Arnold
Read by Richard Davidson
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
Release date: 06-08-21

There are many stories we can tell about the past, and we are not, perhaps, as free as we might imagine in our choice of which stories to tell or where those stories end. John Arnold’s addition to Oxford’s popular Very Short Introductions series is a stimulating essay about how people study and understand history. The book begins by inviting us to think about various questions provoked by our investigation of history and then explores the ways in which these questions have been answered in the past. Such key concepts as causation, interpretation, and periodization are introduced by way of concrete examples of how historians work, thus giving the listener a sense of the excitement implicit in discovering the past - and ourselves.

The aim throughout History: A Very Short Introduction is to discuss theories of history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than delve into specific periods. This is a book that will appeal to all students and general audiences with an interest in history or historiography.