Why History Matters

In order to better understand our current society, we need to critically examine the historical events which have shaped it and this textbook thoroughly demonstrates how analysing history can provide the basis for an informed and insightful understanding of our society as it is today. Examining key events in history such as the Iraq War and the AIDS crisis, John Tosh persuasively argues that we are in danger of missing history's principal contribution – how we can practically apply the lessons learnt from history to society today. The text clearly demonstrates why historical examination needs to have a bigger role in current decisions and how we should reconfigure our priorities in order to make that happen. Providing an important and engaging introduction to the study of history, this text is perfect for undergraduate students of the subject.

Table of Contents:
Preface.- Prologue: Britain in Iraq.- Contending Histories.- Other Worlds.- Becoming Ourselves.- Parallels in the Past.- The Family in Crisis: a Case-Study.- History Goes Public.- The Citizen's Resource.- Conclusion.- Notes.- Select Bibliography.

About the Author :
JOHN TOSH was formerly Professor of History, Roehampton University, UK. He is the author of the standard introductory text, The Pursuit of History, now in its fourth edition. He has also published extensively on the history of masculinities in Britain, including A Man's Place: Masculinity and the Middle-Class Home in Victorian England.

Review :
'Tosh is refreshing, and impressive in getting away from the false parallels and cliches that can bedevil the use, and abuse, of history in today's media...This is an important book - which policy-makers, media men and women and, dare I say it, politicians, should all read.' - Gordon Marsden, History Today 'The text fills a gap in providing a student text on why study history, while also appealing to a broader audience interested in history's media and policymaking dimensions.' - Peter Beck, Professor of International History, Kingston University, UK, and author of Using History, Making British Policy: the Treasury and Foreign Office, 1950-76 (Palgrave Macmillan: 2006) 'I would eagerly recommend it to a class of history majors or beginning graduate students, and would look forward to talking about the main findings.' - Peter Stearns, Provost, George Mason University, USA 'Does history matter? Of course it does! And John Tosh, Professor of History at Roehampton University and author of The Pursuit of History, makes a convincing case for studying the past as a way of understanding the present.' - David Sinclair, Tribune '...an accessible brief introduction.' - Penelope J Corfield, The Times Literary Supplement