Why Study History?: (Why Study?)

Studying any subject at degree level is an investment in the future that involves significant cost. Now more than ever, students and their parents need to weigh up the potential benefits of university courses. That's where the Why Study series comes in. This series of books, aimed at students, parents and teachers, explains in practical terms the range and scope of an academic subject at university level and where it can lead in terms of careers or further study. Each book tries to both enthuse the reader about its subject and answer the crucial questions that a college prospectus does not. This volume is for students and potential students of history - it answers the question why study history - and also how to study it, where to study it, what it can do for you in your future worklife, for your personal development, and for the public good. This short guide busts a lot of myths and offers practical advice based on an unparalleled understanding of how history is actually taught on both sides of the Atlantic, in schools and universities.

About the Author :
Marcus Collins is Senior Lecturer in Cultural History at Loughborough University and an elected member of the Council of the Royal Historical Society. A specialist on popular culture and social change in Britain since 1945, he is the author of The Beatles and Sixties Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and Modern Love: An Intimate History of Men and Women in Twentieth-Century Britain (Atlantic Books, 2003), and the editor of The Permissive Society and Its Enemies: Sixties British Culture (Rivers Oram Press, 2007). Peter N. Stearns is University Professor of History at George Mason University. He teaches undergraduate courses on world history and on US and comparative social and cultural history, including the history of emotion. He also regularly collaborates on undergraduate research. He has authored or edited more than 140 books and had great fun working on his most recent: Time in World History (Routledge, 2019). His new edited collection, Death in Modern World History, will be published in autumn, 2020.

Review :
"As this book sets out in lucid detail, the study of history is not only a fascinating personal endeavour but a profound public good, essential for policy-making, scientific inquiry and cultural progress. The skills I learnt at university have accompanied me throughout my career, and I would recommend history to all." -- Will Tanner, BA History (2010), University College London, founding Director of the think tank Onward and formerly Deputy Head of Policy in 10 Downing Street; "This book is a really important read for history students in key stages 4 and 5. It clearly and accessibly dispels the notion that the only career options for a historian are as a teacher or a lecturer. I look forward to seeing both an upsurge in history degree applications from my students and a diversification of their career choices after reading this book!" -- Annabelle Larsen, Head of Humanities, Moat Community College, Leicester; "An excellent user's guide for students of history - why study history, how to study it, where to study it, what it can do for you in your future worklife, for your personal development, and for the public good. This short guide busts a lot of myths and offers practical advice based on an unparalleled understanding of how history is actually taught on both sides of the Atlantic, in schools and universities." -- Peter Mandler, University of Cambridge; "... an invaluable guide to "everything you wanted to know about studying history, but were perhaps afraid to ask." This useful handbook leads the prospective student and aspiring historian through every conceivable step in the process from the first glint of interest in a student's eye, to the selection of a course of study, to life as a professional academic. Yet for all its sober and sensible practicality, the authors successfully convey the joy of history." -- Mary Lindemann, Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Miami; "This brief volume is packed with wisdom and practical advice. Students of history -- young and old -- will find much of value in its pages." -- Sam Wineburg, author of Why Learn History When It's Already on Your Phone; "At last, we have a volume that directly challenges the doubts and apprehensions many students have about studying history. Much needed and highly recommended." -- Robert B. Townsend, American Academy of Arts and Sciences