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The emergence of world history as a major area of historical scholarship was one of the fundamental developments of 20th-century historiography. Hitherto, however, a sourcebook for teaching its historiography has been lacking. With the aid of students in his graduate seminar at the University of Notre Dame, Fernandez-Armesto has filled that gap with Approaches to Global History. The volume contains over 20 fundamental documents in the historiography of world history from antiquity to the present, organized around five themes: prophetic history, history as progress, scientific history, comparative history, and Eurocentrism. A final essay suggesting future directions for the field and notes on the authors close the volume. Three themes are central to the book: the notion that world history is history that deals with the world as a whole; the idea that its origins lie in prophetic texts, especially the Book of Daniel; and the understanding that it is a form of Western historiography. Curiously missing is any reference to the Greek tradition of universal history on which the author of Daniel relied for his historical framework. An excellent introduction to the historiography of world history.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.

This impressive, monumental work by Sperber (emer., Univ. of Missouri), a renowned scholar, offers a global rendering of the period from the close of WW II to the end of the 20th century. Adopting a largely thematic approach, the text features four creative and encyclopedic sections--"The Material World," "Interactions," "Varieties of the Social," and "Dreams and Nightmares." The first section tackles nature, disease, and technologies; the second, markets, migrations, and global powers. The third deals with societies, labor, leisure, and consumers; the fourth, beliefs, mass murders, and utopias. Thus, Sperber points to the intertwining of humanity and the environment; the incomplete search for wonder drugs; and the shifts involving energy, transportation, agriculture, and microelectronics. He moves on to economic developments, including deregulation and regulation, migration patterns, and international relations, topped off by the end of the Cold War. Next, Sperber tackles social class, generations, and gender before addressing labor's seeming rise and fall, leisure, and consumption. Finally, in a fascinating section he covers ideological and religious tenets, the all-too frequent commission of mass murder, and utopian/dystopian sensibilities. Overall, an excellent volume, particularly given Sperber's apparent ability to remain optimistic through it all.Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through graduate students; professionals.