History for Beginners

Where does history come from, and how do we know what really happened? Find out in this eye-opening book.

Every nation tells its own history in its own way. This important book explains what's going on behind the scenes in those tellings - who gets to decide which facts are taught, and which truths are massaged, or even denied. Using a mix of comic strips, diagrams and clear, simple language, this book shows readers how to dig deeper into any story, how to investigate recent and ancient history for themselves, and learn why it's vital to understand how the world has ended up where it is today.

This is a History book unlike any other you've read. It doesn't just tell stories from the past, it explains where those stories came from, and why they can change, depending on who is telling them.

Chapters in this book include:
- What is history?

How to look at the past
What is - and what isn't - part of the study of history.

How to be a historian
How historians investigate the past, what tools they use, and how to decide which accounts you can trust - and which you can't.

Different approaches
There are many ways to explore history, and many types of stories to tell. What's the difference between them, and why do historians choose different approaches anyway?

Histories of who
How to investigate stories that focus on people: from heroes and villains to ordinary people, large groups - and those that historians have often ignored.

Histories of where
How historians make sense of what has happened in different parts of the world, whether a village, a city, a nation - or the entire globe.

Histories of why
Trying to find out why something happened often means exploring big ideas, and how people were thinking and feeling at the time. But how can you investigate that?

Everyday history
With the tools you've gathered in this book, find out how YOU can start to make sense of the world you live in.

The end of history?