Freud for Historians is an argument, presented by Peter Gay, which deals with psychoanalysis in historical writing. This topic of interest is a heated debate among historians. The argument is a final book in a trilogy Gay did not intend to write. Freud for Historians follows two historiographical books, Style in History and its sequel about causation, Art and Act (p. viii). In his book, Gay presents a strong defense against misunderstandings of psychoanalytic theory.

He is developing his discussion on a principle he had discussed in Art and Act. Peter Gay, being a professional on Freud, is attacking the critics of psychohistory, and even more in depth the psychoanalytic historian. The main point of the text is to emphasize to its critics that psychoanalysis can help historians not only learn what happened...