This compact, friendly, and realistic guide provides hands-on help for college and university students new to the discipline of history. Written by an experienced instructor of first-year students, Solving the Puzzle encourages students to do the work of engaging with historical sources in a responsible way—and helps them to build critical thinking and writing skills that will transfer to other courses and contexts. With short, readable chapters covering each stage of the writing process, concrete examples, practical exercises, and an encouraging tone, this book will help students move past anxiety, avoid the temptation to cut corners, and solve the puzzles of historical research and writing.