History is a broad and deep subject. It covers the period of a few thousand years for which we have written records. These accounts were either written by those who witnessed the events themselves or they were handed down orally and written by later generations. This is what happened, for example, with the gospels. These documents were copied by scholars — often in illuminated manuscripts — and read only by an educated few.
In 1476, William Caxton invented a new printing method and the written word became accessible to an increasing number of people. Since then, historians have developed skills to evaluate and write commentaries on written resources from the past. Now, for good or ill, this is a growth industry, meaning that you have even more material to master before sitting your exams. A wealth of this material is also being provided in new ways: online, in e-books and in different discussion forums.
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