The great powers, 1814-1914

Targeted specifically at A-Level students, the Challenging History series provides a continuation from the GCSE approach, whilst also taking into account changes in the A-Level syllabus and historical research. By closely examining documentary evidence and posing questions, the six books in the series provide accessible guides to history from the 15th century onwards. Each chapter in the books is divided into four sections - preview, text, examining evidence and focus. The preview section is a presentation designed to arouse students' interest and to lay out the major themes of the chapter. The text sections contain a narrative of the period. The examining evidence sections present the student with a wide variety of historical sources and the focus section highlights particular events, people and issues of the period. Talking points scattered throughout the books encourage students to question their preconceptions and test ideas. There are also questions in every chapter, which invite the students to discuss the issues and present written responses.