This is the first major review of the history, theory, and methodology of historical geography. Written by a leading expert in the field, it provides a fascinating and erudite analysis of this powerful and influential intellectual tradition. Using case studies and examples drawn from aroundthe world--and from numerous historical periods--Butlin surveys the many different approaches to reconstructing the geographies of the past. Major sections are devoted to the sources of evidence and data used by historical geographers; the methods deployed in recreating the physical environments andhuman landscapes of the past; and the importance of geographical perspectives in considering the economic, social, and political histories of power and control, of rural change, of industrial and urban development, and of changing patterns in trade, transport, and communications.