A critical reader in history and theory

The Houses of History: A critical reader in history and theory by Anna Green and Kathleen Troup (2^nd edition, Manchester University Press, 2016) 461pp., £17.99, paper, ISBN 978-0-7190-9621-1

The Houses of History is a clearly written introduction to the major theoretical approaches employed by historians. Historians, it was said I think by Nikita Khrushchev, are dangerous people; they need to be controlled--something that in an increasing less democratic and populist world we need to take seriously.  What this innovative critical reader highlights is that--in a world in which problems are often distilled down to mono-causal solutions, historians often take diametrically opposed views on the same problem—there are often myriad solutions--and provides accessible introductions to fourteen schools of thought.  These range from the empiricist to the postcolonial and including chapters on Marxist history, Freud and psychohistory, the Annales, historical sociology, narrative, gender, public history and the history of the emotions. Each chapter begins with a succinct description of the ideas integral to a particular theory. This is then expanded as the authors then explore the insights and controversies arising from the application of this model, drawing upon debates and examples from around the world. Each chapter concludes with a representative example from a historian writing within this conceptual framework. The Houses of History has proved a highly successful textbook since it was originally published in 1999 and remains the ideal companion for students examining the variegated nature of the subject. That it has been thorough revised is indicative of the continued vibrancy of History in the face of those who question its importance to society and whether money spent on it provides value for money.