After the Fact (Two-Volume Set)

Author: James West Davidson, Mark Hamilton Lytle
Binding: Paperback
Published: Knopf, 1982

Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image. Slightly creased corners and spines.

After the Fact present a rigorous and engaging study in historiography, designed to instruct readers in the craft of historical analysis. This nonfiction work in the genre of historical methodology chronicles pivotal episodes in American historyfrom the Salem witch trials to the early failures of the Virginia colonyand illustrates how historians reconstruct the past using diverse sources such as oral testimony, photographs, census data, and cultural artifacts. The authors argue that historical truth is not merely discovered but actively constructed through critical inquiry and interpretation. Each chapter functions as a case study, guiding readers through the process of questioning evidence, identifying bias, and forming coherent narratives. With clarity and precision, Davidson and Lytle elevate historical detection to an intellectual discipline, making this set indispensable for students and professionals seeking to master the historians craft.