This unit is designed to improve your understanding of the craft of writing history. The emphasis throughout is on reading history across different periods and places in order to appreciate the strategies used in the writing of history. A variety of styles and genres of historical writing will be studied, in order to analyse some of the key elements of historical prose, such as story-telling, scene-setting, characterisation, placing oneself in the text, documentation and the onus of proof. The unit also encourages self-conscious reflection about style, prose and voice, and has workshops designed to improve and extend students own experience of writing history. -- Course Website
Instructor: Professor Bain Attwood