Oral History

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

This Very Short Introduction is a general introduction to oral history from the interview to the archive. Douglas A. Boyd examines the oral history interview, recording techniques and strategies, technologies for making oral history accessible, and the legal and ethical implications throughout the work of oral history. Boyd also pays special attention to the role of the archive and the importance of memory. Equally important, this book also examines the world of digital possibilities for utilizing oral history for scholarly, public, community, and personal use.

An area of explosive interest and growth, oral history is a complex discipline not just sequestered to storytelling. The interview is a complex combination of strategy and flexibility, remembering and forgetting, narrative and silence, and cannot escape individual biases and perspectives. This book offers readers a comprehensive and concise overview of oral history from one of the most important figures in the field.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Douglas A. Boyd is the Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries. He is the author of Crawfish Bottom: Recovering a Lost Kentucky Community (2011), and co-editor of Oral History and Digital Humanities: Voice, Access, Engagement (2014).