The classic guide to exploring English local history, brought up to date and expanded. This is a book for anyone wanting to explore local history in England. It summarises, in an accessible and authoritative way, current knowledge and approaches, bringing together and illustrating the key sources and evidence, the skills and tools, the contexts and interpretations for successive periods. Case studies show these ingredients in use, combined to create histories of people and place over time. A standard text since its first edition in 1992, this new edition features extensive fresh material, updated to reflect additional availability of evidence, changing interpretations, new tools and skills (not least the use of IT), and developments in the time periods and topics tackled by local historians. The interdisciplinary character of twenty-first-century local, family and community history is a prominent feature. Complemented by 163 illustrations, this book offers an unrivalled introduction to understanding and researching local history.

"Those readers who know this book from its earlier editions will need no urging to advance their experience eighteen years by reading this latest version; those readers new to this work should be encouraged by this review to read and use it as a guide to their own studies. [...] To all who aspire to undertake such local studies, this book remains a great boon, enhanced by this welcome new edition." - Family & Community History

"This book ought to be read by every self-respecting local historian, and every member of FACHRS. The blurb on the back cover for once is perfectly correct: Tiller 'offers an unrivalled introduction to understanding and researching local history'. Her book can be read with profit not just by the beginner, but even by the most experienced local historians." - FACHRS