Taylor and Francis Abbott, M: Family Ties

"Family Ties contributes to the academic and popular debate on the family by providing a vivid and accessible exploration of the dynamics of life in English families of all ranks from the mid-sixteenth century to the end of World War I. Organized both chronologically and thematically, and accompanied by sections on methods, approaches, and sources, it explores such fundamental historical issues as cause and effect; continuity and change; and the nature and reliability of evidence. It also examines several important sub-themes, including the history of childhood and of marriage across a broad social and chronological span. Mary Abbott draws on a rich vein of personal testimony by including extensive contemporary quotations supported by a variety of unusual and, in many cases, previously unpublished illustrations, and a wide range of sources including images, artefacts, and buildings. "Family Ties provides fascinating insight into methods of historical investigation and encourages the reader to challenge traditional documentary sources.