Series: What is History?

Scholarship on African American history has changed dramatically since the publication of George Washington Williams’ pioneering A History of the Negro Race in America in 1882. Organized chronologically and thematically, What is African American History? offers a concise and compelling introduction to the field of African American history as well as the black historical enterprise—past, present, and future. Pero Gaglo...

What is Cultural History? has established itself as an essential guide to what cultural historians do and how they do it. Now fully updated in its third edition, leading historian Peter Burke offers afresh his accessible account of the past, present, and future of cultural history, as it has been practised not only in the English-speaking world but also in...

This book provides a short and accessible introduction to the field of gender history, one that has vastly expanded in scope and substance since the mid-1970s. Paying close attention to both classic texts in the field and the latest literature, the author examines the origins and development of the field and elucidates current debates and controversies. She highlights the significance...

What is Latin American History? surveys the development of this vibrant and dynamic field of study in North America, Latin America, and Europe. After briefly sketching the growth of the topic up to the 1960s, Marshall Eakin focuses on the past half-century, from the dominance of social history to the cultural turn. He surveys innovative work on topics including slavery,...

The third edition of What is Military History? has been thoroughly updated and includes a new bibliography and new case studies on naval warfare and the origins of war. It also features expanded sections on historiography, environmental history, and world history. This popular textbook showcases a field that encompasses not only accounts of campaigns and battles but also includes a...

What is slavery? It seems a simple enough question. Despite the long history of the institution and its widespread use around the globe, many people still largely associate slavery, outside of the biblical references in the Old Testament, with the enslavement of Africans in America, particularly the United States. Slavery proved to be essential to the creation of the young...

The third edition of What is Military History? has been thoroughly updated and includes a new bibliography and new case studies on naval warfare and the origins of war, as well as expanded sections on historiography, environmental history, and world history. This popular textbook showcases a field that encompasses not only accounts of campaigns and battles but also includes a...