Why Study History?

Book: £12.99 (including free P&P within the UK) eBook: £8.00

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Marcus Collins and Peter N. Stearns

Launching our new Why Study series is Why Study History? by Marcus Collins and Peter N. Stearns.

Considering studying history at university? Wondering whether a history degree will get you a good job, and what you might earn? Want to know what it’s actually like to study history at degree level? This book tells you what you need to know.


Studying any subject at degree level is an investment in the future that involves significant cost. Now more than ever, students and their parents need to weigh up the potential benefits of university courses. That’s where the Why Study series comes in. This series of books, aimed at students, parents and teachers, explains in practical terms the range and scope of an academic subject at university level and where it can lead in terms of careers or further study. Each book tries to both enthuse the reader about its subject and answer the crucial questions that a college prospectus does not.


You can buy the book by clicking the appropriate button at the top of this page, or from wherever you normally buy books (see below for a few more buying links). For orders of 10 or more copies, we would be able to offer a discount if you email lpp@londonpublishingpartnership.co.uk


Praise for Why Study History?

“This book sets out the intellectual, economic and societal benefits of studying history at university. It offers a brilliant guide to choosing the right course, from the type of history on offer to selecting the institution best suited to  you. I recommend it to all students and their parents as they plan their next steps.”

Holly Hiscox, history teacher, d’Overbroeck’s Sixth Form, Oxford

This book is a really important read for history students in key stages 4 and 5. It clearly and accessibly dispels the notion that the only career options for a historian are as a teacher or a lecturer. I look forward to seeing both an upsurge in history degree applications from my students and a diversification of their career choices after reading this book!

— Annabelle Larsen, Head of Humanities, Moat Community College, Leicester

An excellent guide for students of history – why study history, how to study it, where to study it, what it can do for you in your future worklife, for your personal development, and for the public good. This short guide busts a lot of myths and offers practical advice based on an unparalleled understanding of how history is actually taught on both sides of the Atlantic, in schools and universities.

— Peter Mandler, University of Cambridge

… an invaluable guide to “everything you wanted to know about studying history, but were perhaps afraid to ask”. This useful handbook surefootedly leads the prospective student and aspiring historian through every conceivable step in the process from the first glint of interest in a student’s eye, to the selection of a course of study, to life as a professional academic. Yet for all its sober and sensible practicality, the authors successfully convey the joy of history.

Mary Lindemann, Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Miami

This brief volume is packed with wisdom and practical advice. Students of history – young and old – will find much of value in its pages.

Sam Wineburg, author of Why Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone)

At last, we have a volume that directly challenges the doubts and apprehensions many students have about studying history. Much needed and highly recommended.

Robert B. Townsend, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

As this book sets out in lucid detail, the study of history is not only a fascinating personal endeavour but a profound public good, essential for policymaking, scientific inquiry and cultural progress. The skills I learnt at university have accompanied me throughout my career, and I would recommend history to all.

Will Tanner, BA History (2010), University College London, founding Director of the thinktank Onward and formerly Deputy Head of Policy in 10 Downing Street

This book is a breath of fresh air! If you’re wondering about whether to study history at university, whether it’s a practical choice, what job you might get at the end of it, and how to choose where to study, this is the book for you.

— Suzannah Lipscomb, broadcaster, author and Professor of History, Roehampton University


You can buy the book with free UK postage and packing at the top of this page, but it should also be available from everywhere you normally buy books. If that’s Amazon or the Book Depository, links appear below.

To buy the book on Amazon.co.uk, click here

To buy the book on Amazon.com, click here

To buy the book on Book Depository, with free shipping to many countries around the world, click here

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  1. Pingback: Small Group Teaching in a Large Class: ‘Understanding History’ | Historical Transactions

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