Giuseppe Galasso is one of the few Italian historians who continue to enjoy and show interest not only for historical research, but for theoretical reflections on the epistemological status of history, its role in the catalogue of knowledge - in sum, for philosophical meditations on the features and procedures of historiography. In this volume Galasso has put together a dense collection of his general-issue essays, in which he offers the reader a sort of comprehensive introduction to historical knowledge. The volume begins with a ponderous chapter which criticises contemporary relativistic "vogues" and addresses history in general, its function, and its current perspectives. The second chapter, entitled "History and Society", reviews the evolution of the concept of history from the dawn of civilisation to today. Two additional chapters focus on the relationships that history entertains, respectively, with sociology and philosophy. The final chapter lists and describes sources for the study of history.

Giuseppe Galasso teaches Medieval and Modern History in the Faculty of Letters at the University of Naples.