This original and important book on the study of history is now available in a new edition. G. R. Elton's classic work is a wide-ranging, succinct and practical introduction for all students and general readers, and it makes a major contribution to the question "What is history?" This book sets out Elton's experience in the study, writing and teaching of history. The author perceived the work as a manifesto, an explanation of his faith and practice of the subject. The book has become a classic text for students and teachers since its first publication in 1969. This edition includes a new afterword by Richard Evans which assesses the book's relationship to Elton's work as a whole, its impact on the historical profession and its lessons for historians today.