In this unique collection, the memoirs of eleven historians provide a fascinating portrait of a formative generation of scholars. Born around the time of World War II, these influential historians came of age just before the upheavals of the 1960s and &;70s and helped to transform both their discipline and the broader world of American higher education. The self-inventions they thoughtfully chronicle led, in many cases, to the invention of new fields&;including women&;s and gender history, social history, and public history&;that cleared paths in the academy and made the study of the past more capacious and broadly relevant. In these stories&;skillfully compiled and introduced by James Banner and John Gillis&;aspiring historians will find inspiration and guidance, experienced scholars will see reflections of their own dilemmas and struggles, and all readers will discover a rare account of how today&;s seasoned historians embarked on their intellectual journeys.