Reference Reviews, March 15, 2011
Mar 15, 2011HISTORY
The Cold War. 3 vols. Salem. (Magill’s Choice). 2010. 960p. ed. by Robert F. Gorman. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781587657306. $225. REF
Between 1945 and 1991, the struggles between capitalism and communism played out on the world stage, leaving few countries unaffected. Presented here is a chronological, blow-by-blow account of the Cold War’s major occurrences, largely drawn from Salem’s “Great Events” series. Divided into 179 essays and presented in three volumes, this work covers the economic, cultural, athletic, diplomatic, and military events of this time period as superpowers from the East and the West vied for world dominance. Essays average in length between three and four pages and are divided into several sections, including “Summary of Event” and “Significance.” These are followed by “Further Reading” sources, and See also references. Gorman (political science, Texas State Univ.) introduces the period with a discussion of the roots of the Cold War “against the backdrop of the collapse of European dominance,” while a lengthy epilog summarizes the conflict’s post-1991 legacy. The readable essays are supplemented with photographs and maps to illustrate the events described. Similar works include The Cold War: A History in Documents and Eyewitness Accounts (Oxford Univ., 2004), edited by Jussi M. Hanhimäki, and Odd Arne Westad and Martin Walker’s The Cold War: A History (Holt, 1995). BOTTOM LINE This is one of the more accessible recent works on the Cold War. Highly recommended for public, school, academic, and historical libraries not already owning Salem’s “Great Events” materials covering the era.—Luis J. Gonzalez, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs.
Encyclopedia of Media and Propaganda in Wartime America. 2 vols. ABC-CLIO. 2010. 860p. ed. by Clarence R. Wyatt & Martin J. Manning. index. ISBN 9781598842272. $180; Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF
Say the word propaganda, and thoughts generally turn to more recent wars. The use of propaganda, however, dates to the early years of this country, starting with newspapers and moving forward to modern times with film, music, radio, television, and the Internet. This set proposes that the first major use of propaganda was during World War I, but it includes some 500 pages of previous examples (ostensibly more minor). The set is laid out in chronological order from 1775 (the Colonial wars) to early 2010. Within each period, key players are listed alphabetically with cross-references to other sections of the set and to outside sources. The sections vary in length from a few pages to over 100 pages combined for the two world wars and 88 for the Civil War. Also included are a “Chronology of Important Events” and a thorough index. The propaganda side of the text contains factual and unbiased summaries with a general overview of the times and how the message was propagated. Included with the “hot” wars is a review of the Cold War years, separate from the events and wars of that period. There is a slight contradiction between the title and the contents. The title proclaims “Wartime America,” but the set covers English, German, Russian, and British films during World War II. These are presumably included for comparison and to round out the discussion. BOTTOM LINE Though patrons will not find a detailed description of any battles or military actions, this set remains a solid, quick reference for general readers and casual history buffs with an interest in this facet of wartime history.—Beth Bland, Milwaukee
Hillstrom, Kevin. Workers Unite!: The American Labor Movement. Omnigraphics. (Defining Moments). 2010. 236p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780780811300. $55; Online: Credo, ebrary Gale, MyiLibrary, NetLibrary, OverDrive REF
Part of Omnigraphics’ “Defining Moments” series on American history, this title covers the labor movement in the United States. In the short space provided, Hillstrom (The Dream of America: Immigration, 1870–1920) gives the broad history of labor without being superficial. This, along with the clear writing style, makes the book excellent for basic, introductory research on the subject. The book has three major parts: the first is a narrative of the labor movement up to 2010 and the conditions—starting with early European settlers—that led to it. While Hillstrom’s narrative, and the book as a whole, is very pro-labor, he doesn’t avoid discussing negatives, like corruption and connections to organized crime. The second part contains biographies of major labor leaders in the movement’s history. (Students can learn what Jimmy Hoffa was known for, beyond his mysterious disappearance.) The third part is made of primary sources such as speeches, published statements, and personal recollections by workers and participants in strikes. Additionally, the book has a chronology, a short glossary, and suggested topics for research papers, essays, and projects. BOTTOM LINE Though basic and brief, this title is highly recommended for middle school and high school students researching the history of the labor movement. It’s both a good place to begin research and a useful reference when reading other works.—Robert Mixner, Bartholomew Cty. P.L., Columbus, IN
World of a Slave: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States. 2 vols. Greenwood. 2010. 700p. ed. by Martha B. Katz-Hyman & Kym S. Rice. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780313349423. $180; Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF
Independent curator Katz-Hyman and Rice (director, museum studies, George Washington Univ.) have produced the first specialized encyclopedia on the material culture of slavery in the United States (material culture here refers to physical objects produced and/or modified by humans). The set focuses on the American South, which had the greatest concentration of enslaved African Americans. The 170 signed articles are arranged alphabetically in two volumes and include brief bibliographies. Many entries are also supplemented with oral histories collected from former slaves by the Federal Writers’ Project (1936–38), as well as black-and-white images collected from museums and libraries. To locate specialized articles, there are two lists: alphabetical and topical. The encyclopedia also provides a selected concluding bibliography with websites, an index, and biographical information on editors and contributors. Another similar title is the two-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of World Slavery (1998) edited by Paul Finkelman and Joseph Miller. However, this Greenwood title has a broader scope—articles cover entire regions and continents and feature many detailed biographies. BOTTOM LINE Focusing on the day-to-day lives of the enslaved, this title should appeal to individuals interested in African American history, sociology, anthropology, and popular culture. Highly recommended as a specialized reference title.—Patrick Owens, Central Washington Univ. Lib., Ellensburg
PHILOSOPHY
The History of Continental Philosophy. 8 vols. Univ. of Chicago. 2010. 2704p. ed. by Alan D. Schrift. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780226740461. $800. REF
This eight-volume set considers continental philosophy as a tradition of philosophical thought developing from Kant’s work and more specifically a tradition that took shape at the beginning of the 20th century with the phenomenology of Husserl and proceeded through critical theory, structuralism, and poststructuralism to today. Schrift (philosophy, Grinnell Coll.) aims for a “coherent and comprehensive account of the continental philosophical tradition that offers a unique resource for understanding this tradition’s complex and interconnected history.” Each volume is thematic, with 98 separate articles throughout the series, so the coherence is somewhat strained, but the set as a whole gives a comprehensive account of the continental tradition, and its broad scope makes it a unique contribution to the history of continental philosophy. BOTTOM LINE Recommended. Though priced for libraries, this work should appeal to anyone interested in continental philosophy. Readers familiar with continental philosophy up to the heyday of Foucault and Derrida—and who seek a coherent view of what has gone on since—will find the final two volumes covering post-poststructuralism and emerging trends especially interesting.—Wayne Bivens-Tatum, Princeton Univ. Lib., NJ
POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Encyclopedia of Political Science. 5 vols. CQ Pr. 2010. 2000p. ed. by George Thomas Kurian. illus. maps. index. ISBN 9781933116440. $800; Online: CQ Press Political Reference Suite REF
Containing more than 1500 entries written by contributors from nearly 40 countries, this five-volume “synchronic encyclopedia” attempts to cover politics and government in the broadest meanings of these terms. Published and produced with the assistance of the American Political Science Association (APSA), this massive work contains a large number of contributions written by APSA members, ably collated and edited by a team of political scientists led by Kurian (founder & president, The Encyclopedia Society; Encyclopedia of the Third World). Ranging in length from a paragraph to several pages, the signed, A-to-Z entries are enhanced with useful bibliographic references and numerous cross-references. An alphabetical listing of all entries, a thematic table of contents, and a cumulative index helpfully appear in each volume, providing easy access to the text. Maps and black-and-white photographs illuminate information. The eclectic range of entries is impressive: political cartoons, corruption, language and politics, fiscal conservatism, voting machines and technology, and Jewish political theory, to name just a few. BOTTOM LINE Although many encyclopedias on political science have been published in the last few decades, this set seems to offer both the broadest perspective and the most comprehensive coverage. Likewise, though many general topics (communism, social Darwinism) are discussed in countless other sources, this encyclopedia serves best as an outstanding ready-reference source to find numerous political and governmental topics not generally covered in most general or specialized reference works. Highly recommended for public and academic collections serving interested political scientists. [The online version covers the same material with the expected enhancements—advanced search with operators, saved searches, image browse, etc; contact CQ Pr. for pricing.—Ed.]—Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Libs.
Latimer, Christopher Peter. Civil Liberties and the State: A Documentary and Reference Guide. Greenwood. 2010. 367p. illus. index. ISBN 9780313379345. $95; Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF
Many ways of life have changed following the attacks of 9/11. Part of ABC-CLIO’s “Documentary and Reference Guides” series, this set presents a review of historical documents displaying how liberties have been granted or withheld in light of the tension between our desires for security and wish for liberty. Through excerpts of historical documents such as executive orders, congressional legislation, and judicial decision, the seven-chapter organization devised by Latimer (political science, SUNY Cortland) reviews how the government worked to implement or oppose legislation restricting people’s rights. Each document is followed by a brief author’s analysis of the importance of the material, touching on topics such as what consequences the documents had, why they were created, and whether they are still in effect. Chapters 1 and 2 present documents from U.S. history as well as influential British documents such as the Magna Charta and the British Bill of Rights. Chapters 3 and 4 cover federal actions in both world wars and the Cold War. Chapters 5 and 6 cover federal actions following 9/11. Chapter 7 contains excerpts from political organizations including the Republican and Democratic National Committees expressing their views on liberties. BOTTOM LINE While useful for researchers looking for pertinent excerpts, this lacks in-depth analysis of the materials, most of which can be easily located online in full. Readers looking for more debate about the subject may be interested in Civil Liberties (2009), part of Gale/Greenhaven’s “Opposing Viewpoints” series.—James Langan, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
RELIGION
Milestone Documents of World Religions: Exploring Traditions of Faith Through Primary Sources. 3 vols. Salem. 2010. 1500p. ed. by David M. Fahey. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780979775888. $325; Online: Salem History (free with print purchase) REF
This three-volume set examines primary-source documents and sacred texts from a broad range of world religions. Fahey (history, emeritus, Miami Univ., OH) has assembled 100 signed, chronologically arranged articles, each about 10,000 words in length, from 70 contributors. Following each article is the full text of the source document. The entries are informative and well written, placing the studied text within its proper context. To accomplish this, each entry contains a time line listing important events that preceded the document; a short “About the Author” biography, if the author is known; an “Audience” section discussing who the document was written for; and an “Impact” portion about the influence of the document on history, religion, etc. Other resources include “Essential Quotes,” “Questions for Further Study,” a bibliography, glossary, photographs (all helpfully placed within the article and thus eliminating the need to search in different locations), and an index. Major traditions are represented, along with Celtic, Gnostic, humanist, and atheist. The documents range from the Pyramid Texts (c. 2404 B.C.E.) through Jose Trigueirinho’s Calling Humanitiy (2002). In between readers can explore writings such as the Mohawk Thanksgiving Address, Westminster Confessions, and others. BOTTOM LINE No doubt some may question why certain documents or texts were not included here (e.g., the synoptic Gospels or one of the major Pauline Letters). Overall, however, this collects a broad representation of source documents. A handsome set for researchers who want an introduction to the study of primary texts with many useful sources for further study. Recommended for high school, undergraduate, and large public libraries.—Jackie Parascandola, Columbia Univ. Libs., New York
A CLASSIC ON THE CLASSICS
Masterplots. 4th ed. 12 vols. Salem. 2010. 6144p. ed. by Laurence W. Mazzeno. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9781587655685. $1200; Online: Salem Literature (free with print purchase) REF
Familiar to generations of college freshmen sweating through Major British Authors 101 and similar survey courses, various series and subsets of this set have seen print since 1949, now brought together under one roof, so to speak, in this single, massive work. Essentially, this is a catalog of classics, additionally giving readers a who/what/where/when/why account of the piece in question. Each of the 2220 signed, A-to-Z essays concludes with an annotated bibliography, thus directing the reader to the most appropriate materials for further research. Coverage is both broad and deep; one may find entries from the mists of antiquity, such as Sophocles’s play Antigone (c. 442 B.C.E.), up to and including contemporary works like Joyce Carol Oates’s 2000 historical novel on Marilyn Monroe, Blonde. Represented genres include poetry (John Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn”), philosophy (Plato’s Dialogues), diaries and journals (Anne Frank, Ana ïs Nin, and Samuel Pepys), scientific works (Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection), biography (Carl Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln), and many others. Curiously and dismayingly, no entry exists for Christianity’s Holy Bible or for Islam’s Koran, though many works directly based on stories from them appear, as in the drama Abraham and Isaac (author unknown, from the 15th century). Mazzeno (president, emeritus, Alvernia Coll.) has again been tapped to helm this project as consulting editor in charge of materials from some 700 academics and independent scholars. Numerous indexes organize material by year of publication or production, by author, by author’s national origin, by genre and by theme/issue, greatly easing the researcher’s task of locating specific works. Lastly, each volume contains a table of contents for the entire set. BOTTOM LINE A “just the facts, ma’am” rundown of the world’s writing worth reading. A classic in its own right, comparable to little else in scope and authority currently on the market. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. —Michael F. Bemis, Washington Cty. Lib., Woodbury, MN
