Family Ties - English Families 1540-1920 (Paperback)

"Family Ties" aims to provide a vivid and accessible introduction to the dynamics of life in English families of all ranks, from the mid-16th century to the end of World War I. Sections on methods, approaches and sources allow readers who are new to the study of the past to explore some of the historian's fundamental concerns: cause and effect; continuity and change; and the nature and reliability of evidence. The chronological and thematic organization of the book is designed to enable readers to examine a number of sub-themes, such as the history of childhood or of marriage. Combining extensive contemporary quotations and a variety of illustrations with a wide range of written and other sources, the book should provide a fascinating insight into the history of the family and encourage the reader to become a sceptical and imaginative investigator, prepared to venture beyond the historian's traditional documentary sources.