A core of undergraduates readily see the purpose of their study of historical theory, but a substantial number, in this still most empirical of disciplines, are skeptical about its value. Recognizing this, Walker has designed a volume that not only provides coverage of some of the most influential theoretical currents to have shaped history in recent decades but also demonstrates in a concrete way, by reference to particular pieces of historical writing on a variety of key topics, how it has happened. A notable feature of the book is its concentration upon the early modern period, which has its own distinctive issues and approaches.