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The Oxford Handbook of Agricultural History is a magnificent compendium of recent scholarship on agricultural history's elements (crops, soil fertility, labor), modern technology (mechanization, agricultural science, and global capitalism), and notable transitions (irrigation and reclamation, wet rice, plantation agriculture, agricultural revolutions--e.g., Islamic and green--and famines). Comprehensive in scope, interesting and informative essays acknowledge that the emergence and evolution of agriculture has affected, and continues to affect, landscapes, flora, fauna, Indigenous cultures, and the global economy. The analysis of advancements, unintended consequences, and transitions is balanced, the focus on context is consistent, and the examination and judgment regarding environmental depredations, chemical applications, genetic modifications, and climate change are prudent and reasonable. Handbook editor Jeannie Whayne has arranged 35 essays in four sections: "Timeless Essentials," "Modern Essentials," "Exemplary Commodities," and "Key Transitions and Challenges." Each essay concludes with thorough endnotes and a bibliography for further reading on the topic. This work is essential for libraries supporting historical research on agricultural topics, agricultural education and research, and the development and implementation of agricultural policy.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, and professionals.