Between Two Cultures: An Introduction to Economic History Book

In this wise and witty work, a world-renowned economic historian takes us behind the scenes to observe a small band of scholars reconstructing the past with the tools of economic analysis and the narrative power of the traditional historian.

Library Journal

This is an engaging book on the art of doing economic history. In the first half, Cipolla, a well-known economic historian, presents an insightful discussion of the techniques of historical analysis. He devotes the second half to a survey of actual primary sources used to describe various periods in European economic history. Addressing the current split in this scholarly discipline between logical-mathematic analysis and a humanistic approach, Cipolla is clearly dubious of an aggressive use of economic models and statistics. His sophisticated philosophical and practical approach will be quite helpful for both producers and consumers of work in economic history. Recommended for academic collections.-- Richard C. Schiming, Mankato State Univ. , Minn.