The Craft of International History

"This is a practical guide to the historical study of international politics. The focus is on the nuts and bolts of historical research - that is, on how to use original sources, analyze and interpret historical works, and actually write a work of history." "The book does not simply lay down precepts. It presents examples drawn from the author's more than forty years' experience as a working historian. One important chapter, dealing with America's road to war in 1941, shows in unprecedented detail how an interpretation of a major historical issue can be developed. The aim throughout is to throw open the doors of the workshop so that young scholars, both historians and political scientists, can see the sort of thought processes the historian goes through before he or she puts anything on paper."