The contributors to this volume, originally published in 1962, explain the raison d'être of their own specialism in history be it archaeology, political, local, economic or social history or historical geography.

Introduction; Chapter 1 Political History, S. T. Bindoff; Chapter 2 Economic History, W. H. B. Court; Chapter 3 Social History, H. J. Perkin; Chapter 4 Universal History, G. Barraclough; Chapter 5 Local History, H. P. R. Finberg; Chapter 6 Historical History, H. C. Darby; Chapter 7 The History of Art, D. Talbot Rice; Chapter 8 The History of Science, A. Rupert Hall; Chapter 9 Archaeology and Place-Names, F. T. Wainwright;