Reviews
Other excellent oral history manuals are available, but this one is the most comprehensive. It also is accessible, entertaining, and sensible. I will consult it for information and advice, use it in my oral history and historical methodology courses, and recommend it with pleasure to both novices and advanced practitioners.
–Michael A. Gordon, review of Recording Oral History, in The Oral History Review32:2 (Summer/Fall):2006.
How nice–and how rare–it is when a favorite text undergoes revision and comes out even better! Yow (book review editor, Oral History Review, and independent scholar) has once again hit the jackpot with her second edition of Recording Oral History (1994). Written in a smooth, accessible, and thoroughly engaging style, Yow’s book walks readers through the joys and challenges of doing oral history, from understanding and appreciating the method to preparing for interviews; conducting, assessing, and analyzing them; and interpreting their meaning(s). Chapters detail different kinds of oral history projects, including family histories and community studies. The author offers guidance and pointers for dealing with intricate interpersonal relationships between interviewers and narrators, and also offers important legal and ethical advice. Yow uses her vast experience as a practicing oral historian to share examples and anecdotes with readers, making her an accessible guide and also clarifying and enriching her points. Each rich chapter offers an extensive bibliography for those who want to do further reading on any of the topics addressed. This is a must-own book for anyone, novice or expert, who engages or wants to engage in oral history research. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.
– D. B. Turk, New York University
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