i wanted some help if possible, what are the current trends in history and what books are best for different time periods....i saw thread covering some aspects of this a long while back but cant find it and am hoping to get some insight and reading for the soon to be new year (and possible a new direction for me as in getting my MA in history, one MA is never enough right)
I just happen to be reading this for work: Manuel Castells, The Rise of the Network Society Castells' stuff is very popular these days. He's at the center of the effort to describe and analyze the impact IT, especially the Internet, is having on human social forms and processes.
My sense as an outsider is that Historians have been going through a redefinition/reconception of their craft in the past couple decades, maybe ever since Hayden White's "Metahistory." Actually, I'd imagine that this transition phase is over, and that what has emerged is some variant of historical materialism or The New History that has also taken hold in most other humanities disciplines: women's studies, anthropology, literature, etc. For historians, this seemed to begin with an increased attention to the fundamental "truth claims" upon which the field is based, which led to problematizing traditions of historiography, which is what White's book was all about. I'm currently reading Ronald Takaki's "A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America," (1993) which might be a good example of where things stand.
The other two guys have done better than I could, so I'll just add one more suggestion. Since you're thinking about getting an M.A., take a look at the program(s) and see what kind of books the professors are writing. Also (you might be able to do this on-line, too) see if you can get some syllabi to see what they're assigning in classes (or if you're live close to the program, go check the bookstore). Good luck.
thanks thanks for your help, I always love getting reading suggestions and seeing where people's minds are regarding history (and any other topic really)....I think that my choices are somewhat limited mostly based on not wanting to be far away from my powerlifting career and other factors. most likely a school in michigan, but as i found when i got my MA in philosophy, i am not sure the school matters as much as my own reading and what i put into it.