Why History Matters

Does history matter? Does it offer anything more than just entertainment? And if so, what practical relevance does it have? John Tosh argues that we are in danger of missing history's principal contribution - to provide the basis for informed and critical understanding of the present.

Why History Matters identifies the essential features of historical thinking and shows how they can be applied to contemporary concerns. Drawing on topical examples from the Iraq War to the AIDs crisis to globalization, Tosh demonstrates why the study and application of history is such a critical resource for the active citizen in a representative democracy.

Arguing that schools, the media and historians themselves need to change their current priorities, this book is both inspiring and empowering. It provides all students of history with an important and practical introduction to the subject.

About the Author:
John Tosh is Professor of History, Roehampton University, UK