ABSTRACT
If we want to understand historical pieces of writing, we need to know about who the author was, about their life, and about their personal struggles. This chapter explains why biographical writing is a challenge even to those who are trained as historians. It talks about the presence and absence of information, the different types of sources that historians might use, and why it is important to retain a critical attitude to the sources that we do have. It also reflects on the way in which our own perspectives and context may colour our engagement with historical figures and their context.
