Armstrong's work is an excellent point of entry into material for the analysis of non-textual sources. Written by an enthusiastic historian, it will be of great use to students, but can also serve as an inspiration to other researchers.
Lectures: An International Journal of Reviews in Social Sciences (Bloomsbury translation)
Students eager to find a fresh way to study history should read this book. Written in a clear, accessible style, it applies essential cultural theory to a dazzling array of examples from many continents and periods, from pottery and portraits to films and interviews. One of Catherine Armstrong's outstanding qualities as a historian is that far from talking down to her readers she encourages them to join her on an exciting and surprising voyage of historical discovery. As such, this is both a useful handbook and an extended essay, fizzing with interest and enthusiasm, that one can read with pleasure from start to finish.
Malcolm Gaskill, University of East Anglia, UK
Armstrong's Using Non-Texual Sources is an ambitious, concise, clearly structured and lucidly written introduction to the use of visual, aural, and material sources for the writing of history. Based upon a broad and deep knowledge of the relevant interdisciplinary literatures, there is no comparable textbook available for undergraduate historical methods courses. Its intended audience will find a persuasive argument for why they should look beyond textual sources as well as a detailed guide to best-practices in their analysis of film, paintings, cartoons, music, film, and artefacts.
Leora Auslander, University of Chicago, USA