This work investigates the fundamental shift in English historical consciousness and methodology that occurred between 1580 and 1640. Frank Smith Fussner, a scholar of early modern intellectual history, examines how English writers moved from medieval chronicles toward a more critical, evidence-based approach to the past. By analyzing the works of antiquarians and historians of the period, the author argues that this era represents a critical transition point in the development of modern historical inquiry.

Historians frequently cite this text as a foundational study for understanding the evolution of English historiography during the early modern period. Scholars note the clarity of Fussner's analysis regarding the intellectual tensions between traditional narrative styles and emerging critical methods.