A Little Book for New Historians: Why and How to Study History (Little Books)

“This slim volume will challenge everything you've learned about studying the past. Put names and dates to the side and buckle your seatbelts for a ride that engages your heart as much as your mind. New historians—and old—will benefit mightily from the wisdom of this little book.”

“This book makes an outstanding contribution—for students of history, readers of history, history classes in college or high school, and discussions of history in church groups. It explains clearly what historians do, how historical study can promote the right kind of intellectual discipline, and why history means so much for Christian faith. The book is as powerfully effective as it is accessibly succinct.”

“Beautifully written and thought provoking. Tracy McKenzie reminds us that history is so much more than knowledge about the past. He invites us to understand history as a Christian vocation; he equips us to develop historical habits of the mind, and he challenges us to be transformed by our historical consciousness. Just as history is foundational to Christian faith, McKenzie shows us that historical understanding is also foundational to being a faithful Christian. His book will enrich both the college and church classroom.”

“If we take McKenzie's warnings about American 'present-tense culture' seriously and apply his lessons of history as the remembered past, the solutions for many of our contemporary racial problems would soon become clear. This book provides practical reflection and instruction on the development of historical thinking skills and growth of historical consciousness. I wish I had it when I was a new historian.”

“More than a how-to for beginning history students, this book is a tonic for our times. When many on the left and right clamor for history instructors to teach 'what really happened,' McKenzie lays bare the prideful arrogance behind such a desire and reminds us what a mature historical consciousness can provide—a discerning eye for the situation in which one has to act. Brimming with valuable insights culled from decades of classroom instruction by a master teacher, reading this book is both an intellectual pleasure and a practicum for spiritual formation. One can hope that the author's awe and humility before the task of making sense of the past will rub off on everyone who takes up this book.”

“This primer for new historians is full of Christian wisdom about the study of the past. Written by a seasoned veteran who has taught history majors for more than thirty years—in both secular and Christian academic institutions—it will instruct and transform you with profound historical thinking about the world in which we live and the people we should love. Read it and join the conversation!”

“Tracy McKenzie writes that we are living in a 'present-tense culture.' This observation will come as no surprise to history teachers on the frontlines, whose students tend to see the study of history as an exercise in memorizing arcane facts and hence place little value on learning history. In this concise and accessible book, McKenzie shows a way out of the tyranny of the present, explaining both how and why to learn from the past. He shows how to develop habits of inquiry and reflection that allow engagement with the past as a life-changing moral inquiry rather than the dry recital of facts. The wisdom he offers for new historians can be fruitful for more experienced scholars as well. This small book should be on every historian's reading list.”

“"In engaging and accessible prose, Tracy McKenzie provides an excellent introduction to the historian's craft for the undergraduate student—I know of none better. A Little Book for New Historians offers a compelling rationale for the study of history along with helpful practical guidelines on how to do so. But, above all, it challenges students to view history as an essential part of an education that endeavors to form mind and spirit in humane and holy ways. Deeply informed by Christian faith, this work summons the student to seek a 'heart of wisdom' through the careful investigation of the past.”

“A Little Book for New Historians is short on words and long on wisdom. In it, Tracy McKenzie proves once again to be a sure and reliable guide for Christian students and faculty on what it means to do history well and why it is worth it. Like the past itself, his work offers us lots of gifts to be received.”