Historicismis the essential introduction to the field, providing its readers with the necessary knowledge, background and vocabulary to apply it in their own studies. Paul Hamilton's compact and comprehensive guide:

* explains the theory and basics of historicism
* presents a history of the term and its uses
* introduces the reader to the key thinkers in the field, from ancient Greece to modern times
* considers historicism in contemporary debates and its relevance to other modes of criticism, such as feminism and post-colonialism
* contains an extensive bibliography of further reading.