In these thoughtful reflections, Nigel A. Raab reminds us that in a world awash in digital information, historians remain integral to the interpretation of our humanness. -- Virginia H. Aksan, McMaster University This slim volume will help students understand their own humanity through the sights, sounds, and physicality of their relationship with the past. While previous generations of historians read their dog-eared copies of E.H. Carr's What Is History?, today's students of history will pick up their copies of Raab's Who Is the Historian? and seek themselves within its pages. -- Rebekah A. Klein-Pejsova, Purdue University

Who is the historian? What do historians do? Where do their explorations take them? What is the impact of the digital age on historical research?

In an affable style, Nigel A. Raab answers these questions for those intrigued by the past. Each chapter describes a specific aspect of "doing history," beginning in the physical spaces of archives and libraries around the globe. Readers are then introduced to the sources—texts, oral interviews, films, and objects—which historians interpret. Raab points out that historians do not work alone with their materials; rather, archivists, librarians, and others play a crucial role in what he calls the web of the historian's work. Readers will also learn about the skill set imparted to those pursuing a historical education. In the final chapter, Raab brings all these themes together to demonstrate the value of the historian in the contemporary world.