Psychohistory: Readings in the Methods of Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and History: edited by Geoffrey Cocks and Travis L. Crosby,  Yale University Press, 1987,  312 pp., $37.50 hardcover, $14.95 paperback.

Psychohistory, edited by Cocks and Crosby, is a collection of 18 essays on psychohistory to be used by students as an introduction to the field. It is designed to offer the beginner an introduction to classical papers as well as topics of controversy. The authors suggest that the papers, in combination with the theories of Freud, Erikson, Kohut, and others will provide a solid foundation for an introduction to psychohistory.

The book is divided into three sections, each containing selected papers pertinent to the theme of that part. Part I deals with the differences in psychology, psychoanalysis, and history, and provides a general overview of the field of psychohistory. Part II focuses on the study of the psychology of the individual in history and gives specific examples of applied psychohistory. Part III concludes by focusing on the difficulties of studying the psychology of the group in history.

Part I, entitled “Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and History,” is a collection of six papers discussing the interface between history and psychoanalysis. Chapter I opens with Eysenck's classic 1953 paper postulating that psychoanalysis is not science but “to be judged in terms of belief and faith, rather than in terms of proof and verification.” Meyerholts follows with a counterpoint postulating psychoanalysis not only being a science, but also a branch of history. The next chapter by Loewenberg discusses the similarities between history and psychoanalysis. Strozier in Chapter IV discusses the work of Erik Erikson and the role of “self-awareness” in approaching the object of study. Lloyd de Mause argues that psychohistory and history are different in scope, with different goals. The final chapter by Binion focuses on the hows and wherefores of actually “doing psychohistory.”

Part II is entitled “The Psychology of the Individual in History” and consists of seven chapters. Coles opens with a lengthy discussion of Freud's study and interest in Leonardo Da Vinci as well as other a