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How to Study History
We have set down in this book the basic rules and principles of historical study that a student should bear in mind as he enters upon his first college history course. In our experience as college teachers of history, we have found that students need to be informed on the nature and methods of history as a distinct intellectual discipline, and we have tried to communicate this information in as direct and practical a way as possible. We have no only set before the college student the standards of excellence one should strive to attain in historical study; we have attempted to show, step by step, how to reach these goals. We have presented the methods and principles that appear to have the widest consensus among academic historians, and we have sought to avoid extreme and idiosyncratic opinions.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1967
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About the author
Norman F. Cantor
54 books91 followersBorn in Winnipeg, Canada, Cantor received his B.A. at the University of Manitoba in 1951. He went on to get his master's degree in 1953 from Princeton University and spent a year as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. He received his doctorate from Princeton in 1957 under the direction of the eminent medievalist Joseph R. Strayer.
After teaching at Princeton, Cantor moved to Columbia University from 1960 to 1966. He was a Leff professor at Brandeis University until 1970 and then was at SUNY Binghamton until 1976, when he took a position at University of Illinois at Chicago for two years. He then went on to New York University, where he was professor of history, sociology and comparative literature. After a brief stint as Fulbright Professor at the Tel Aviv University History Department (1987–88), he devoted himself to working as a full-time writer.
Although his early work focused on English religious and intellectual history, Cantor's later scholarly interests were far more diverse, and he found more success writing for a popular audience than he did engaging in more narrowly-focused original research. He did publish one monograph study, based on his graduate thesis, Church, kingship, and lay investiture in England, 1089-1135, which appeared in 1958 and remains an important contribution to the topic of church-state relations in medieval England. Throughout his career, however, Cantor preferred to write on the broad contours of Western history, and on the history of academic medieval studies in Europe and North America, in particular the lives and careers of eminent medievalists. His books generally received mixed reviews in academic journals, but were often popular bestsellers, buoyed by Cantor's fluid, often colloquial, writing style and his lively critiques of persons and ideas, both past and present. Cantor was intellectually conservative and expressed deep skepticism about what he saw as methodological fads, particularly Marxism and postmodernism, but also argued for greater inclusion of women and minorities in traditional historical narratives. In both his best-selling Inventing the Middle Ages and his autobiography, Inventing Norman Cantor, he reflected on his strained relationship over the years with other historians and with academia in general.
Upon retirement in 1999, Cantor moved to Miami, Florida, where he continued to work on several books up to the time of his death.
After teaching at Princeton, Cantor moved to Columbia University from 1960 to 1966. He was a Leff professor at Brandeis University until 1970 and then was at SUNY Binghamton until 1976, when he took a position at University of Illinois at Chicago for two years. He then went on to New York University, where he was professor of history, sociology and comparative literature. After a brief stint as Fulbright Professor at the Tel Aviv University History Department (1987–88), he devoted himself to working as a full-time writer.
Although his early work focused on English religious and intellectual history, Cantor's later scholarly interests were far more diverse, and he found more success writing for a popular audience than he did engaging in more narrowly-focused original research. He did publish one monograph study, based on his graduate thesis, Church, kingship, and lay investiture in England, 1089-1135, which appeared in 1958 and remains an important contribution to the topic of church-state relations in medieval England. Throughout his career, however, Cantor preferred to write on the broad contours of Western history, and on the history of academic medieval studies in Europe and North America, in particular the lives and careers of eminent medievalists. His books generally received mixed reviews in academic journals, but were often popular bestsellers, buoyed by Cantor's fluid, often colloquial, writing style and his lively critiques of persons and ideas, both past and present. Cantor was intellectually conservative and expressed deep skepticism about what he saw as methodological fads, particularly Marxism and postmodernism, but also argued for greater inclusion of women and minorities in traditional historical narratives. In both his best-selling Inventing the Middle Ages and his autobiography, Inventing Norman Cantor, he reflected on his strained relationship over the years with other historians and with academia in general.
Upon retirement in 1999, Cantor moved to Miami, Florida, where he continued to work on several books up to the time of his death.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 31, 2009
Not quite a 5 star, but definitely 4 1/2, so I rounded up. Written 40 years ago yet still just as popular, a true sign that a book hits upon principles reflective of true study and not just contemporary social opinion. Definitely worth an afternoon read to help one understand why history is important, but then to also help them develop skills to understand how to interpret that history most objectively while applying those same skills to modern day events to help you understand history in the making.
July 6, 2018
This book was published in 1967 with some of the material dates but overall an excellent resource I should have read before I returned to school.
August 29, 2009
An excellent practical and philosophical guide to becoming a principled student of primary and secondary sources of history. He clearly outlines and describes different schools of thought. Cantor seems to view the historian's task not as determining right or wrong in history, but as recognizing historical significance and developing traits of accuracy, fairness, self-criticism, and openness. A little weak on truth, but he's speaking in the secular academic context.
August 16, 2009
Its information is good, but sometimes I had to laugh at loud at how fanatic the writers sounded. They would advise the students to spend all extra time in the library, cataloging books on their favorite subjects, and to hang outlines of their research papers by their mirrors where they would see them always. Otherwise, there was some very sound advise and good information in the book.
April 12, 2012
This was required in my history course, and I'm glad it was the book they chose. A good rundown on being a scholar of history, and despite its age and occasionally archaic methods of being a successful student, a lot can be figured out from this volume without having to worry about when it was written.
July 23, 2013
A little dated, but still very useful. History students of all kinds can benefit from this, but I'd say it's a must-read for grad students.
May 14, 2015
Though it is quite dated, if you ignore the stuff about index cards and what not-- there is some really helpful advice in here.
August 18, 2023
It is not fair to say this book is dated. It is but there is still much wisdom to be gleaned about the work and philosophy of history. Originally written in 1967 as a primer for freshman, Cantor and Schneider set the bar high for what it means to study history both as a scholar and simply as a well educated undergraduate. One wonders if professors can expect this much from students today. Their advice on writing with a central purpose in mind, and reading critically, are still valid. Yet there is also a fair amount about notecards and using the card catalogue, taking out books and burrowing through the university library that made me smile. This book is more a time capsule than an out of date book and if you remember college before the internet, if you loved studying social sciences and listening in person to your professors, and arguing with them during office hours, if you remember a world where the one typed copy of your term paper had no back up, you will appreciate this book.
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July 2, 2011This was a required text in graduate school I read it, and forgot it. It is now on my reread list.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews