Overview
An incredibly useful reference, the second edition of A Dictionary of World History has been fully revised and updated in order to bring it into the 21st century. It contains over 4,000 clear and concise entries on all aspects of history, from prehistory right up to the present day. Biographies of key figures in world history range from Alexander the Great to Bill Clinton, Elizabeth I to Nelson Mandela. There are separate entries for every country in the world summarizing the key historical events and important figures in that nation's history.
New to this edition are brand-new entries such as George Bush, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, and the 2004 tsunami, while many other entries have been substantially revised to reflect new developments. Twenty-five maps cover events and topics such as the Black Death and the African slave trade, and detailed subject entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and key battles and places in world history give this dictionary a truly international scope.
Easy to use yet encyclopedic in scope, A Dictionary of World History provides an excellent overview of world history both for students and the general reader.
Editorials
Library Journal
Originally published in 2000, this fully revised and updated edition contains more than 4000 A-to-Z entries on all aspects of world history, from prehistoric times to the present. Most entries are derived from the Encyclopedia of World History and the Oxford Paperback Encyclopedia of the "Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia" series, and each ranges in length from a few sentences to roughly half a page. They cover significant individuals, historical events, country descriptions, and political and religious movements, among many other topics. Some entries highlight specialized topics (e.g., Dowager Cixi, a Chinese empress; EOKA, a Greek Cypriot political movement), while most others offer minimal information about major topics (e.g., World War I, Thomas Jefferson). New entries include "Osama bin Laden," "9/11," and the 2004 tsunami. Rounding out the work are 25 black-and-white maps.
—Donald Altschiller