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HIST1050: The Modern World : Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Library resources for the modern world history survey course, covering the period from approximately 1500 C.E. to the present.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Credo Reference's Academic Core
This page offers a portal to reference content on social movements from Credo Reference's collection of over 600 full-text reference titles, along with other subscription resources available from the Cheng Library. A good starting point for getting oriented to your topic.


Cold War Culture: Media and the Arts, 1945-1990 / Richard Alan Schwartz. - New York: Facts on File, 1998. - Includes bibliographical references (p. 365-367) and index. - Call Number: REF E169.12.S39
One volume reference covers the major forms of cultural expression during the Cold War era, with an emphasis on the popular arts and literature. Entries range from a single paragraph to a page. Cross-references are included, plus a three-page bibliography at the end.


Dictionary of American Diplomatic History, 2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded / John E. Findling. - New York : Greenwood Press, 1989. - xxxiii, 674 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. - Call Number: REF E183.7.F5
Good treatment of personages, events, and organizations. Findling stresses not only the who, what, where, and how but also states the significance of the aforementioned entrants. The weak point of the work is the short treatment given to concepts such as containment, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Cold War. Approximately 1,200 entries. [Choice]


Dictionary of American Foreign Affairs / Stephen A. Flanders, Carl N. Flanders; cartography by Thomas Nast. - New York: Macmillan; Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada; New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1993. - xiii, 833 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm. - Includes bibliographical references (p. 813-826). - Call Number: REF E183.7.F58
Wide-ranging volume "encompasses space, technological, and environmental matters as well as the more traditional issues of diplomatic, military, intelligence, and economic affairs. The main section is an alphanumeric listing of prominent names, significant events, treaties, and organizations that have affected American foreign relations." [Choice]


Dictionary of American History / Stanley I. Kutler. - 3rd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. - Stanley I. Kutler, editor in chief.; 10 v. : ill., maps ; 29 cm. - Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF E174.D52
4,434 entries in ten volumes emphasize social, cultural, and demographic topics, while striving for diversity and inclusiveness. Also covers political, military, and economic developments in American history. Includes over 1,200 photographs and 252 maps, and the text is liberally supplemented with hundreds of cross-references. Volume 10 contains a massive index and "Guide to Research and Learning," which allows the Dictionary to be used as an American history textbook supplement and teaching tool. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of African American History: 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-First Century / ed. by Paul Finkelman - New York : Oxford University Press, 2009. - 5 vols. - Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF E185.E5453
'This five-volume set provides a comprehensive examination from the "Age of Segregation" through the 2008 presidential election. With over 1,250 signed entries and 450 illustrations, the set conveys the story of African American history with a focus on topics such as politics, literature, law, art, and cultural figures. Entries are arranged alphabetically with cross-references and a selective bibliography at the end of each article. The set also features a listing of entries for all volumes, roster, thematic outline, chronology, and comprehensive index.' [Choice]


Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History / Mary Kupiec Cayton, and Peter W. Williams. - New York: Scribner, 2001. - Mary Kupiec Cayton, Peter W. Williams, editors.; 3 volumes) ill. ; 28 cm; Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF E169.1.E624
Three-volume work contains lengthy essays (chronological and topical) and longer-than-average bibliographies. Consult the index for essays covering specific topics under more general themes.


Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy / Alexander DeConde, Richard Dean Burns, and Fredrik Logevall. - 2nd ed. New York: Scribner, 2002. - 3 v. ; 29 cm; Includes bibliographical references and index.; v. 1. A-D -- v. 2. E-N -- v. 3. O-W, Index. - Call Number: REF E183.7.E52
This three-volume reference contains original essays from scholars who seek to illuminate rather than define issues, and it treats 121 broad themes. There are essays reflecting issues ranging from the end of the Cold War to science and technology as well as matters not extensively considered (e.g., "African-Americans," "Gender"). The essays incorporate both recent events and historiographical interpretation. Sidebars, cross-references, and substantial bibliographic entries at the end of each essay enhance the value of this work. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of American Social History / Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliott J. Gorn, and Peter W. Williams. - New York: Scribner ; Toronto; New York: Maxwell Macmillan Canada; Maxwell Macmillan International, 1993. - 019: 27791051; Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliott J. Gorn, Peter W. Williams, editors.; 3 v; Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF HN57.E58
This three-volume set features 14 thematic sections and 180 essays covering a wide range of topics in social history, including periods of social change; methods and context; the construction of social identity; processes of social change; ethnic and racial subcultures; regionalism and regional subcultures; space and place; patterns of everyday life; work and labor; popular culture and recreation; family history; social problems, social control, and social protest; science, medicine and technology; and education and literacy.


Encyclopedia of American Social Movements / edited by Immanuel Ness; foreword by Stephen Eric Bronner and Frances Fox Piven. - Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2004. - 4 v. (xxix, 1557 p.): ill.; 29 cm. - Includes bibliographical references (p. 1503-1557) and indexes. - Call Number: REF HN57.E594
The first major reference work that seeks to examine social movements in all their complexity, power, and significance, this set expands history by giving voice to the struggles of ordinary people. Striving for comprehensiveness, authority, and balance, the section editors examine each movement in its entirety. The set's introduction is particularly useful in defining social movements -their aims, goals, and successes, and their ability to spawn offshoots. Sixteen sections, edited by experts, cover major social movements in American history. Sections begin with an introductions to movements (e.g., Antislavery Movement, Native American Movement) and supply entries that cover each movement's critical themes and key leaders. Excerpts from primary documents (Frederick Douglass's "The Rights of Women") flesh out entries and provide easy access for readers. Entries are arranged by a rough chronology in each section, are written by scholars, and analyze a movement's goals, tactics, membership, and outcomes. Since many movements overlap, entries explore the interrelationship between the groups. Intending to provide a broad, engaging overview of American history, the set is not confined to movements of the Left but includes conservative, progressive, and antivice movements. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the American Military: Studies of the History, Traditions, Policies, Institutions, and Roles of the Armed Forces in War and Peace / John E. Jessup. - New York; Toronto: Scribner's; Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1994. - John E. Jessup, editor in chief, Louise B. Ketz, executive editor.; 9403; 3 v; Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF UA23.E56
This three-volume work provides overviews of the major military engagements of the U.S. and also treats issues that have transformed the armed forces: the role of women in the modern military, personnel management, education and training, and the military-industrial complex. The expertly written, substantive essays essays range in length from 20 to 50 pages, and most conclude with an excellent bibliography. The editors provide a wealth of information that can be difficult for researchers to find outside of Department of Defense publications, and the treatment and organization should be suitable for all levels of academe. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History / Spencer Tucker, and Jinwung Kim. - Santa Barbara, Calif.: Abc-Clio, 2000. - Spencer C. Tucker, editor ; Jinwung Kim ... [et al.], assistant editors.; 3 v; Includes bibliographical references and index.; v. 1. A-M -- v. 2. N-Z -- v. 3. Documents. - Call Number: REF DS918.E53
Three-volume reference covers the political, economic, geographic, and military dimensions of the conflict, along with detailed maps of the Korean Peninsula. The third volume contains key primary source documents including several from Soviet archives that contain new information on Sino-Soviet-North Korean decision making, a chronology of the war, bibliography, and index. Focus rests on the military aspects of the war, but the diplomacy of the conflict, the domestic political fallout in the U.S., and prewar political conditions in Korea are also addressed. Entries vary in length from half a page to several pages in length; each ends with a list of sources and cross-references. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the McCarthy Era / William K. Klingaman. - New York: Facts on File, 1996. - William K. Klingaman.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 413-414) and index. - REF E743.5.K57


Encyclopedia of the Persian Gulf War / Mark Grossman. - Santa Barbara, Calif.: Abc-Clio, 1995. - Mark Grossman.; Map of The Middle East on endpapers.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 503-512) and index. - Call Number: REF UF500.G8
This excellent encyclopedia has several hundred entries and reveals extensive research concerning the topic. The book is well written and peppered with many helpful and clear illustrations. The articles, four detailed appendixes, and the bibliography contain thorough references to assist further investigation, and there is a useful chronology of events. The author includes helpful background information that explains how the world was overtaken by Desert Storm. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century / Stanley I. Kutler. - New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. - Stanley Kutler, editor in chief ; Robert Dallek, David A. Hollinger, Thomas K. McCraw, associate editors ; Judith Kirkwood, assistant editor.; 9510 pp.; 5 v. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm; Includes bibliographical references and index.;. - Call Number: REF E740.7.E53
Four-volume reference work covers political, social, cultural, and technological developments and trends that occurred in the U.S. during the twentieth century. Organized into six broad topical sections ("The American People"; "Politics"; "Global America"; "Science, Technology, and Medicine"; "The Economy"; and "Culture"), 80 prominent academic historians provide 74 interpretative essays based on current scholarship that analyze major topics and themes of the century. The lengthy essays cover such traditional and emerging subjects as regionalism, gender issues, Congress, limited wars, health and disease, the infrastructure, and sports; they are followed by informative and thorough bibliographical essays. A unique chronology organized in six columns that correspond to the encyclopedia's topical arrangement can be used to compare noteworthy annual accomplishments and events, 1898-1995. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War / Stanley I. Kutler. - New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. - 019: 34410305; editor in chief, Stanley I. Kutler.; Includes bibliographical references and index.; American perspectives -- Antiwar movement -- Art and literature -- Colonialism -- Diplomacy -- Media and the war -- Prelude to U.S. combat intervention -- Strategy and tactics -- Vietnam -- Vietnamese perspectives -- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution -- Paris Peace Accords -- Medal of Honor winners. - Call Number: REF DS557.7.E53
Comprehensive encyclopedia includes a chronology of the war and Vietnam's history from the 7th century BCE to the present and a subject index. The alphabetically arranged main section has ten overview articles averaging 15 pages in length, mixed with more specific entries varying in length according to their importance. Biographical articles include key military and political figures on all sides. Each entry ends with a bibliography of books used in compilation. Coverage is complete for the French War (1945-54), the American War (1961-73), and South Vietnam's collapse (1973-75), although emphasis lies on the American phase. Treats all aspects of the war (military, diplomatic, political, socioeconomic). [Choice]


Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History / Spencer Tucker. - Santa Barbara, CA: Abc-Clio, 1998. - Spencer C. Tucker ; with a foreword by Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.; Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. - Call Number: REF DS557.7.E53
Over 900 alphabetically arranged entries in three volumes covering U.S. and Vietnamese perspectives on the war's military and political fronts; weapons, strategies and tactics; key figures on all sides; the US antiwar movement; international repercussions; and the impact of the war on US culture. Articles vary in length from a single paragraph to several pages, depending on the importance of the topic. Bibliographies and cross-references are provided with each article. The articles are supplemented with a section of maps, photographs, chronology of events, and source documents. [Choice]


Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations / senior editors, Bruce W. Jentleson, Thomas G. Paterson. - New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. - 4 v. : ill., maps ; 29 cm. - Includes bibliographical references (v. 4, p. 413-426) and index. - Call Number: REF E183.7.E53
1,024 articles by 373 scholars and foreign policy analysts covering a wide range of subjects. The majority of articles are brief (less than 1,000 words), but there are also 217 articles that range up to 5,000 words and 51 that run to 10,000. The volumes are enhanced by a clear and concise introduction that explains key ways of understanding foreign relations, defines eight distinct periods in US diplomatic history, and articulates five core goals that have been the foundation of US foreign policy.


Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History / Eric Arnesen, editor. - New York: Routledge, 2007. - 3 vols. - Includes bibliographical references and index. - Call Number: REF HD8066 .A78
Containing over 650 entries, this three-volume encyclopedia encompasses labor history from the colonial era to the present. Articles focus on states, regions, periods, economic sectors and occupations, race-relations, ethnicity, and religion, concepts and developments in labor economics, environmentalism, globalization, legal history, trade unions, strikes, organizations, individuals, management relations, and government agencies and commissions. Articles cover such issues as immigration and migratory labor, women and labor, labor in every war effort, slavery and the slave-trade, union-resistance by corporations such as Wal-Mart, and the history of cronyism and corruption, and the mafia within elements of labor history. Labor history is also considered in its representation in film, music, literature, and education. Important articles cover the perception of working-class culture, such as the surge in sympathy for the working class following September 11, 2001.


Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History / Thomas Carson, and Mary Bonk. - Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. - Thomas Carson, editor, Mary Bonk, associate editor.; 2 v; Includes bibliographical references and index.; v. 1. A - K -- v. 2. L - Z. - Call Number: REF HC102.G35
Two volumes containing 1,003 entries that paint a fascinating picture of the historical, economic, and social development of the U.S.. Written by a team of nine secondary and collegiate instructors and librarians, the articles provide basic background and enough references to related events or names to whet readers' appetites for further exploration. Entries consist of brief definitions, biographies, and one- to two-page essays on issues such as abolition of slavery, military-industrial complex, and states' rights, and include four to eight citations for further reading. Entries are arranged alphabetically, but the table of contents divides them into ten chronological eras. [Choice]


Historical Dictionary of the 1960s / James Stuart Olson. - Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999. - edited by James S. Olson ; associate editor, Samuel Freeman.; Includes bibliographical references (p. [507]-526) and index. - Call Number: REF E841.H58
This dictionary offers brief entries on personages, organizations, events, and fictional characters, and on military, political, cultural, religious, diplomatic, and economic topics. Each entry includes at least one reference, and there is a chronology and a select bibliography. [Choice]


Historical Dictionary of the 1970s / James Stuart Olson. - Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999. - edited by James S. Olson.; Includes bibliographical references (p. [383]-396) and index. - Call Number: REF E839.H57
Concise entries on US politics, society, and culture averaging a half page. Sample entries include Wounded Knee, 1972 Olympic Games, Jonestown's mass suicide, Kent State, Patty Hearst, Kissinger, détente, Vietnam, and the Equal Rights Amendment. Pop culture (M*A*S*H and Eric Clapton) gets plentiful coverage, but other figures and issues, like Olympian Mark Spitz and euthanasia patient Karen Anne Quinlan, are omitted. [Choice]


Historical Dictionary of the Korean War / James Irving Matray. - New York: Greenwood Press, 1991. - edited by James I. Matray.; Includes bibliographical references (p. [575]-590) and index. - Call Number: REF DS918.H536
The articles in this reference, each with brief bibliographies, cover a variety of topics: major military, political, and bureaucratic personnel (including many Chinese and North Koreans); UN resolutions, commissions, and activities; important documents, meetings, and initiatives; and, of course, battles and other military actions. Cross-references and an index improve the usefulness of this volume. [Choice]


Historical Dictionary of the Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991 / Clayton R. Newell. - Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 1998. - Clayton R. Newell.; "Chronology"--P. xxix-lix.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-260). - Call Number: REF DS79.72.N48
This work consists chiefly of alphabetically arranged entries concerning the events, people, places, and organizations of the Persian Gulf War. In addition to a lengthy introductory essay, the volume includes a few maps, the texts of pertinent UN resolutions, and an unannotated bibliography preceded by a bibliographic essay. [Choice]

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