Ranke (1795-1886) championed objective writing based on source material and established the study of history as a major university discipline. These essays, presented in October 1986 at a conference held to mark the centennial of his death, place the German historian in the context of the developing discipline and introduce important issues and problems in European historiography. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Starting with an examination of how historians work, this "Very Short Introduction" aims to explore history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than to delve into specific periods.

In this engrossing account, footnotes to history give way to footnotes as history, recounting in their subtle way the curious story of the progress of knowledge in written form.

From Herodotus to H-Net: The Story of Historiography, Second Edition, offers a concise but comprehensive and up-to-date account of the many ways history has been studied and recounted, from the ancient world to the new universe of the Internet. Clearly written and organized, it shows how the same issues that historians debate today were already recognized in past centuries, and how the efforts of historians in the past remain relevant today. Balanced and fair-minded, the book covers the development of modern academic scholarship, but also helps students appreciate the contributions of popular historians and of the many forms of public history. Often drawing on what historians from Edward Gibbon to Natalie Zemon Davis have written about their own careers, From Herodotus to H-Net, Second Edition, brings the discipline of history alive for students and general readers.