Introduction to the student: why would you look at a book like this?
Thinking and reading about history
History: it's about time
What's the story with history?
The sources of history
Good answers begin with good questions
Search engines, research ingenuity
How to read a book without ever getting to chapter one
Writing about history
Analysis: the intersection of reading and writing
Making a case: an argument in three parts
Defining introductions
Strong bodies (I): the work of topic sentences
Strong bodies (II): exposition and evidence
Strong bodies (III): counterargument and counterevidence
Surprising conclusions
Scaling the summit: crystallizing your argument
Writing is rewriting: the art of revision
Putting it all together: the research essay (a case study)
Conclusion: the love of history.