Part 1, "The Legacy of the Sixties", describes the impact of literary theory in the 1970s and beyond, the rise of women's history, the various forms of ideological analysis developed by historians on the left, and the crippling obsession with professionalism in the 1980s. Part 2, "The Renewal of American Historical Writing", focuses on the contributions of John Patrick Diggins, Richard Rorty, Elaine Showalter, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and others. Harlan argues that at the end of the twentieth century American historical writing is poised to become what it once was: not one of the social sciences in historical costume, but a form of moral reflection that speaks to all Americans.

"History has always belonged to the moral disciplines, and Harlan makes a compelling case for its return to its earlier, pre-scientific calling. A fine, intelligent, and passionate book, quite unlike anything I have read in this field over the last forty years". -- Hayden White