Oral history has democratized the study of the past by recording the experiences of people who have been hidden from history. This international anthology examines how oral history has challenged the historical enterprise and explores the distinctive natures and debates of the field through classic and recent articles.

Arranged in thematic sections, The Oral History Reader details issues in the theory and practice of oral history, from the creation of oral evidence through to data analysis. Highlighting the complexity of historical relationships and testimony, this collection covers key debates in the postwar development of oral history including: the problems posed by interviewing, the politics of empowerment, analytical strategies for interpreting memories and more.

I hope that professors use this as a text book for an oral history class. I encourage them to allow students to pick from the various articles according to their particular interests. Perhaps a professor could require short papers in response to a few of the essays.