HIST4800: Seminar in U.S. Foreign Policy: Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.