The houses of history is a clear, jargon-free introduction to the major theoretical approaches employed by historians. This innovative critical reader provides accessible introductions to fourteen schools of thought, from the empiricist to the postcolonial, including chapters on Marxist history, Freud and psychohistory, the Annales, historical sociology, narrative, gender and history of the emotions among others.

The first chapter outlines four questions designed to assist readers in eliciting and understanding the theorisation underlying a work of history: authorial context, temporal framework, drivers of change, and subjectivities. Subsequent chapters begin with a succinct description of the ideas integral to a particular theory. The authors then explore the insights and controversies arising from the application of this model, drawing upon debates and examples from around the world. The principal theorists are identified, as are the major critics. Each chapter concludes with a representative example from a historian writing within this conceptual framework. A short list of references provides a guide to further reading in each area.

This newly revised edition of the highly successful textbook is the ideal basis for an introductory course in history and theory for students of history at all levels.