History means many things to many people. But finding an answer to the question 'What is history?' is a task few feel equipped to answer nowadays. And yet, at the same time, history has never been more popular - whether in the press, on the television or at the movies.

In understanding our present it seems we cannot escape the past. So if you want to explore this tantalising subject, where do you start? What are the critical skills you need to begin to make sense of the past? Keith Jenkins' book is the perfect introduction. In clear, concise prose it guides the reader through the controversies and debates that surround historical thinking at the present time, and offers readers the means to make their own discoveries.