The "Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History" is the first true encyclopedic reference on world history. It is designed to meet the needs of students, teachers, and scholars who seek to explore and understand the panorama of our shared human history. The encyclopedia takes a dynamic world history perspective, showing connections, interactions, and chage over time and place. Major articles by leading scholars from around the world examine essential themes and patterns such as Art, Disease, Government, Religion, Science, and War and Peace, with hundreds of articles on processes, movements, places, events, and people. Students and teachers at the high school and college levels turn to this definitive work for a connected view of world history--the story of humans and their place in the universe.
From School Library Journal Grade 10 Up–Although the 538 articles in this set are arranged alphabetically, the approach is thematic, with entries and sidebars "showing connections and interactions, through trade, warfare, migration, religion, and diplomacy over time and place." Volume one opens with an overview of human history that serves as a guide to the Encyclopedia , and alphabetic and thematic lists of the entries appear in each book. Much prehistory is treated in this work, which bills itself as covering "250,000 years of human existence." However, readers may wonder why some subjects were included, or even given their own entry, and others weren't. For example, there is no entry for the Peloponnesian Wars, but the extensive index will lead students to information under entries for "Greece, Ancient," "International Organizations," "Oral History," "Thucydides," "Warfare, Naval," and "Engines of History." This last is an example of the somewhat obscure and/or unusual headings that sometimes appear. An up-to-date bibliography follows every article. The black-and-white photos are of uneven quality; many lack sufficient contrast. The maps included are insufficient to clarify the discussions of empires, countries, wars, and movements of peoples. This set would be useful as a supplement to general encyclopedias. –David Pauli, Hillsboro Public Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist Starred Review A masterful title that weaves together the social, scientific, anthropological, and geographical influences on world history, this set will be the benchmark against which future history encyclopedias are compared. Featuring 538 articles by 330 scholars representing multiple disciplines, the title adroitly pulls together the major societies ( Mongol Empire, Sumerian society ); political movements ( Revolution--Cuba; Women's emancipation movements ); and, indeed, the traditionally studied wars ( World War I ) that have shaped the world we live in, all while remaining cognizant of how each has had an impact on the other. The academic credentials of the editors are impeccable. Senior editor McNeill has written dozens of respected texts and was winner of the National Book Award in 1964 for The Rise of the West .
Although attempting to cover as broad a subject as world history in five volumes seems impossible, the editors and their contributors have pulled the feat off with aplomb. No article runs more than approximately 10 pages, but each captures the essence of the topic being addressed, as well as the distinct style of the contributor. Cross-references are noted at the end of most entries, and the lists of further reading contain contemporary works. Primary source material is not left out, however; more than 500 sidebars featuring quoted material often use primary sources. The entry Babylon , for example, includes some text from the Code of Hammurabi.
Each volume opens with a "Reader's Guide" listing 34 subject categories, allowing users to concentrate on articles dealing with, for example, topics related to "Communication" or "Health and Disease." The first volume also features "This Fleeting World," a 56-page essay by David Christian covering the foraging, agrarian, and modern eras of history. Oddly, this essay is repeated in volume 5 (and may also be found in its entirety on the publisher's Web site [http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/assets/pdf/ThisFleetingWorld.pdf]).
With relatively few entries, not everyone will agree with what is included. In a set that features but 110 biographical entries, should there really be one devoted to American abolitionist and author Lydia Child? Do Bullroarers deserve a separate entry? In keeping with the philosophy of the set, however, there are nine entries in a row on trading--beginning with Trading patterns, ancient America --that discuss commerce among the people of various regions. Accompanying the text are numerous black-and-white illustrations and more than 50 maps, most of them excellent line-drawn maps created for the set. There are a few minor errors in cross-referencing and indexing.
As McNeill states in his preface, the encyclopedia is "designed to help both beginners and experts to sample the best contemporary efforts to make sense of the human past by connecting particular and local histories with larger patterns of world history." The encyclopedia succeeds admirably and belongs on the shelves of all high-school, public, and academic libraries. In short: buy it. Now. Ken Black
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

motw/Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History, V - Jerry H. Bentley.pdf

Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History, Vol. 5: Tang Taizong-Zoroastrianism

Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History, Vol. 1: Abraham-Coal

Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History: Five Volume Set

William Hardy McNeill; Jerry H Bentley; Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein

Jerry H. Bentley; William H. McNeill; David Christian

Jerry H. Bentley; David Christian; William H. NcNeill

William Hardy McNeill; Jerry H Bentley; Thomson Gale

Great Barrington, Mass, Massachusetts, 2005

United States, United States of America

January 30, 2005

1, 2005

producers:
PDFlib+PDI 6.0.3 (SunOS)

Memory of the World Librarian: Quintus

Includes bibliographical references and index.
"A Berkshire reference work."

The Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History takes a dynamic world history perspective, showing connections and interactions and change over time and place. Major articles by leading scholars, including Martin Marty and Immanuel Wallerstein, examine essential themes and patterns such as Art, Disease, Government, Religion, Science, and War and Peace. Branching out from these overviews are hundreds of articles on processes, movements, places, events, and people. Students and teachers at the high school and college levels, as well as scholars and professionals, will turn to this definitive work for a connected, holistic, view of world history - the story of humans and their place in the universe. To assure the highest quality, the encyclopedia was developed by an editorial team of over 30 leading scholars and educators, led by William H. McNeill, Jerry H. Bentley, David Christian, David Levinson, J. R. McNeill, Heidi Roupp, and Judith Zinsser. Its 550 articles were written by a team of 330 historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists, geographers and other experts from around the world. Unique Features include: in-depth coverage of 250,000 years of human existence; synthesis of knowledge from paleoanthropology, archeology, geology, and geography; emphasis on cultural contact and social change over time and place; comparisons across time and place; resource for AP World History classes and exam; extensive coverage of arts, literature, religion, and science; biographies of 100 leaders who shaped world history; preface and major articles by senior editor William H. McNeill; and a Book-within-a-Book survey of Foraging, Agrarian, and Modern Eras by editor David Christian.
(source: Bol.com)

The Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History is the first true encyclopedic reference on world history. It is designed to meet the needs of students, teachers, and scholars who seek to explore -- and understand -- the panorama of our shared history of humans. Anyone who loves history -- including those who are making history today -- will find this work an endless source of fascinating, thought-provoking coverage of events, people, patterns, and processes.

<p>"A comprehensive encyclopedia of world history with 538 articles that trace the development of human history -- with a focus on area studies, global history, anthropology, geography, science, arts, literature, economics, women's studies, African-American studies, and cultural studies related to all regions of the world"--Provided by publisher.
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v. 1. Abraham-Coal
v. 2. Cold war-Global imperialism and gender
v. 3. Global migrations in modern times-Mysticism
v. 4. Napoleon-Sun Yat-sen
v. 5. Tang Taizon-Zoroastrianism. Index.

2025-10-27