Do historians reconstruct the truth—or simply tell stories? Professor John Arnold suggests they do both, and that it's the balance between the two that matters. In a work of metahistory (the study of history itself), he takes us from the fabulous tales of Greek Herodotus to the varied approaches of modern-day professionals. Through fascinating and particular examples—including a medieval murderer, 17th-century colonist, and ex-slave—Dr. Arnold illuminates our relationship to the past by making us aware of how the very nature of “history" has changed.