'Even if The Art of Time Travel were not a generous, thoughtful, and perceptive book, its appearance would still be cause for celebration. A trade publisher has taken on a long book exploring general questions about the nature of historical thinking. More than a few readers of Australian Historical Studies will have sat through or taken part in panel discussions on ‘why history matters’; Griffiths and Black Inc. have had the confidence to trust that readers know history matters and will be interested in the questions it poses about time, change, and perspective.' (Introduction)