Reading Primary Sources: The Interpretation of Texts from Nineteenth and Twentieth Century History (Routledge Guides to Using Historical Sources)

How does the historian approach primary sources? How do interpretations differ? How can they be used to write history?. Reading Primary Sources goes a long way to providing answers for these questions. In the first part of this unique volume, the chapters give an overview of both traditional and new methodological approaches to the use of sources, analyzing the way that these have changed over time. The second part gives an overview of twelve different types of written sources, including letters, opinion polls, surveillance reports, diaries, novels, newspapers, and dreams, taking into account. Read more... Book Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgments; Contributors; Abbreviations; Introduction; Part I: Reading primary sources: Contexts and approaches; 1 Understanding history: Hermeneutics and source-criticism in historical scholarship; 2 Reading texts after the linguistic turn: Approaches from literary studies and their implications; Part II: Varieties of primary sources and their interpretation; 3 Letters; 4 Surveillance reports; 5 Court Files; 6 Opinion polls; 7 Memoranda; 8 Diaries; 9 Novels; 10 Autobiography; 11 Newspapers; 12 Speeches; 13 Testimony; Glossary; Index