For related subject research guides see: American History, African-American History, Latin American History, Political Science, and Sociology.

Chronology of World History. H.E.L. Mellersh. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1999.
(REF D11 M39 1999)
The major events in politics, science, arts, and society for each year from 1776 to 1998.

A Dictionary of Ancient History. Ed. by Graham Speake. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.
(REF DE 5 D53 1994)
Covers the Greek and Roman civilizations from the 8th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D. Brief articles cover places, themes, and individuals. References at the end of each article refer to the bibliography at the end.

Encyclopedia of World History. Comp. by Markey House Books, Ltd. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1998.
(REF D21 E53 1998)
Covers a wide spectrum of global cultures and countries. Includes articles on many of the social, political, and economic ideologies that have motivated world cultures over the last 4,000 years.

Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World. James Minahan. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2002.
(REF D 860 M56 2002)
Provides full historical profiles on over 300 developed or emerging national groups worldwide. This four volume set covers the nationalism and national groups that helped shaped 20th century politics.

Revolutionary movements in world history : from 1750 to present, edited by James V. DeFronzo. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 2006.
(REF)   D 295 .R49 2006
In three volumes, this work covers 79 revolutions, from the American and French uprisings of the late 18th century to the rise of communism, Nazism, and fascism; from Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro to the Ayatollah, al Qaeda, and the fall of the Berlin wall. Written by leading experts from a number of nations, this work combines detailed portrayals of specific revolutions with essays on important overarching themes.

Holocaust Literature : an encyclopedia of writers and their work, edited by S. Lillian Kremer. New York : Routledge, 2003.
    (REF   PN 56 .H55 H66 2003)
A 2-volume set featuring 300 alphabetically organized bio-critical essays on writers of memoirs, novels, poetry, and drama, ranging in length from 1,500 to 7,000 words. This comprehensive, scholarly work presents a broad spectrum of voices remembering, interpreting, and reinterpreting one of the twentieth century's most politically and emotionally charged events. Includes writers whose works first appeared in Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish. Provides wide international coverage, though its focus is on writers whose work is available in English.

Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism. Ed. by James S. Olson. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1991.
(REF D 217 H57 1991)
Articles on imperial powers, individual colonies, persons influential in imperialism, and events (e.g. Colonial Conference of 1897, World War I).

The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd ed. Ed. by Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
(REF DE 5 O9 1998)
Covers all aspects of the ancient world. Articles are on themes (e.g. Poetry, Politics), individuals, events (e.g. Peloponnesian War), and places. Includes brief bibliographies.

The Cold War, 1945-1991. Ed. by Benjamin Frankel. Detroit: Gale, 1992.
(REF D 839.5 C65 1992)
Covers leaders in the United States and Western Europe (vol. 1), the Eastern bloc and Third World (vol. 2), and chronology and concepts (vol. 3). The articles are detailed and include extensive bibliographies.

World Conflicts and Confrontations. Ed. by Charles F. Bahmueller. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2000.
(REF D 860 W64 2000)
Articles sureying regional conflicts as well as analytical essays on 104 individual nations and their conflicts.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of World War I. Ed. by Peter Young. Freeport: Cavendish, 1984.
(REF D 522.5 M39 1984)
Arranged chronologically, includes articles on battles and events, plus a few on other topics (e.g. Trench Warfare, Naval Aviation). The Index volume gives alphabetical access to articles and includes bibliographies.

The Oxford Companion to World War II. Ed. by I.C.B. Dear. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
(REF D 740 O94 1995)
Articles on places, individuals, and battles in the war, and special topics (e.g. Concentration Camps, Spies).

Women and war : a historical encyclopedia from antiquity to the present. Ed by  Bernard A. Cook. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 2006.
(REF U24 .W69 2006)
Two volume set with nearly 500 A–Z entries from 140 leading scholars on women as combatants, spies, auxiliaries, medics, supporters, opponents, and victims of war from antiquity to the present and on all continents. The first-ever source devoted entirely to all aspects of women in war as combatants, battlefield support, nurses, resistance fighters, and war opponents—the full spectrum of roles women have played

Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland. Ed. by John Keay and Julia Keay. London: HarperCollins, 1994.
(REF DA 772 C618 1994)
Articles on Scottish culture in general, including leaders, places, and historical events.

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia. Ed. by Paul E. Szarmach, M. Teresa Tavormina, and Joel T. Rosenthal. New York: Garland, 1998.
(REF DA 129 M43 1998)
Covers the period from the fifth century AD to 1485. Articles cover topics in Old and Middle English language and literature, music, art, and history. Includes bibliographies.

Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses, by John A. Wagner. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001.
(REF  DA 250 W34 2001)
Covers the struggle for the English throne between the House of York and the House of Lancaster duirng the second half of the 15th century.

Encyclopedia of Britain. Oxford: Helicon, 1999.
(REF DA 1 E52 1999)
Articles on Britain's cultural, historical, and geographical heritage including contemporary issues such as the devolution of self-rule for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and whether the monarchy is obsolete.

Twentieth Century Britain: An Encyclopedia. Ed. by F.M. Leventhal. New York: Garland, 1995.
(REF DA 566 T835 1995)
Articles on major individuals and historical events in politics, arts, and sciences. Includes bibliographies.

Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia. Ed. by Sally Mitchell. New York: Garland, 1988.
(REF DA 550 V53 1988)
Covers the period from 1837 to 1901. Articles on all aspects of British politics, arts, and sciences, including biographies of famous persons. Includes bibliographies.

The Encyclopedia of Ireland. Edited by Brain Lalor.
(REF DA906.E52 2003)
A comprehensive collection of brief signed articles on every aspect of the civilization and history of Ireland leading up to the present.

Europe 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Edited by Jonathan Dewald. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, Thompson-Gale, 2004.
(REF  D209 E97 2004)
A six-volume set that details European history from 1450-1789, from the print revolution to the French Revolution. The set's 1,082 articles, written by eminent scholars, cover major topics in art, government and education as well as providing biographical entries on key figures.  Each volume includes an eight-page color insert. Features include 575 black-and-white photographs, 60 maps, a year-by-year chronology, a topical outline, and a comprehensive index.

Europe Since 1945: An Encyclopedia. Ed. by Bernard A. Cook. New York: Garland, 2001
(REF D 1058 E8754 2001)
A comprehensive work of 1,700 entries in two volumes covering all of Europe and the successor states to the former Soviet Union. Topics are covered broadly with an emphasis on politics, governments, organizations, people, and events crucial to an understanding of postwar Europe.

Medieval Italy : an encyclopedia. Ed. by Christopher Kleinhenz. New York : Routledge, 2004.
(REF DG 443 .M43 2004)
Almost 1,000 entries in this 2-volume set that covers the diverse facets of Italian civilization from the late Roman Empire through the 14th century.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Russia and the Former Soviet Union. Ed. by Archie Brown, Michael Kaser, and Gerald S. Smith. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
(REF DK 14 C35 1994)
The chapter on History is found on pp. 68-197. Other chapters (e.g. Religion, Politics) also cover historical topics.

Eastern Europe : an Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. Edited by Richard Frucht. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005.
(REF DJK9.E25 2005)
A three-volume set with extensive articles discussing the history and contemporary society of countries in Eastern Europe. The text includes sections on the political, cultural, and economic development of each country, as well as a general historical perspective dating back to prehistory.

Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: From the Congress of Vienna to the Fall of Communism. Ed. by Richard Frucht. New York: Garland, 2000.
(REF DJK 6 E53 2000)
Articles on countries, historical events, and prominent persons, with bibliographies.

Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. by Israel Gutman. New York: Macmillan, 1990.
(REF D 804.3 E53 1990)
Articles on individual countries, groups of victims (e.g. Gypsies), events (e.g. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising), and leaders and institutions of both the victims and the oppressors. Includes bibliographies.

Modern Germany: An Encyclopedia of History, People, and Culture, 1871-1990. Ed. by Dieter K. Buse and Juergen C. Doerr. New York: Garland, 1998.
(REF DD 14 M64 1998)
Most articles are biographies of famous persons. Others cover historical topics (e.g. Concentration Camps, Reunification). Refer to the Subject Guide (vol. 1, pp. ix-xxiv) for lists of articles by broad topics.

Berkshire encyclopedia of China : modern and historic views of the world’s newest and oldest global power. Ed. by Linsun Cheng,  Kerry Brown, et al.
Great Barrington, MA : Berkshire Pub. Group, c2009.
(REF DS735 .A2 B47 2009)
A 5-volume set providing insight into Chinese history and culture today with 800+ expert-written articles that include everything from "Adoption" and "Banking" to  "Zhou Dynasty" with coverage of environmental issues, global economivcs, online communications, and recent political developments.
 
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of China. Ed. by Brian Hook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
(REF DS 705 C35 1991)
Articles on all aspects of Chinese culture. History is covered in “The Continuity of China,” pp. 136-286. Bibliographies are found in “Further Reading,” pp. 470-74.

The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China. Colin Mackerras. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
(REF DS 706 M24 2001)
Emphasizes the period from the 1990's covering all aspects of life in contemporary China. Includes an "Annotated Bibliography" of books, journals, and web sites relevant to China in the 1990's and beyond on pp.137-165.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Ed. by Francis Robinson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
(REF DS 334.9 C36 1989)
The encyclopedia is divided into chapters by subject, each of which covers all seven nations. Chapters of particular historical interest are "History to Independence" (pp. 68-166) and "Politics" (pp. 168-232).

Encyclopedia of Asian History. Ed. by Ainslie T. Embree. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1988.
(REF DS 31 E53 1988)
Articles on individual countries, topics (e.g., Agriculture, Education), famous persons, and events (e.g. World War II in Asia).

Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, its History and Culture. New York: Facts on File, 1999.
(REF DS 705 P47 1999)
Articles on events in Chinese history, with biographies of major figures. The article "Historical Periods" contains a list of dynasties, for each of which there is an article.

Japan: An illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993.
(REF DS 805 J263 1993)
11,000 entries covering every area of Japanese culture and society from prehistory to the contemporary era.

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, 2nd edition. Ed. by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.
(REF DT 14 A37435 2005)
A 5-volume set covering African culture from the earliest times to the African diaspora.

The Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. Ed. by John Middleton. New York: Facts on File, 1997.
(REF DT 351 E53 1997)
Articles on individual countries, topics in history, and leaders. Includes bibliographies.

Encyclopedia of African Nations and Civilizations. Keith Lye and the Diagram Group. New York: Facts on File, 2002.
(REF DT 14 E43 2002)
More than 450 entries discuss the kingdoms, empires, and nations that have shaped the history of Africa. In-depth articles cover the 54 nations of modern Africa as well as numerous multinational topics such as Bantu migrations, the spread of Islam, slavery, and colonization and resistance.

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world, edited by Richard C. Martin. New York : Macmillan Reference USA : Thomson/Gale, c2004.
(REF BP 40 .E525 2004)
A comprehansive 2-volume set that covers the doctrinal, legal, social, and spiritual ideas of the various forms of Islam and the changes that they have experienced in the last 1400 years.

Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East. Ed. by Reeva S. Simon, Philip Mattar, and Richard Will Bulliet. New York: Macmillan Reference, 1996.
(REF DS 43 E53 1996)
Covers the region from North Africa to Afghanistan. Articles on individual countries, historical events, and famous persons. Includes bibliographies.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Ed. by John L. Esposito. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.
(REF DS 35.53 O95 1995)
Long articles on individual countries (including countries where Muslims are a minority), famous persons, special topics (e.g., Education), and cultural practices (e.g. Birth Rites). Includes bibliographies.

See also Latin American History: Reference Sources.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Ed. by Barbara A. Tenenbaum. New York: Scribner’s, 1996.
(REF F 1406 E53 1996)
Long articles cover individual countries and topics common to Latin American countries (e.g. Slavery). Shorter articles cover biographies of famous persons and historical events. Includes bibliographies.

Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society, and Culture. Ed. by Michael S. Werner.
(REF F 1210 E63 1997)
Articles on periods and events in Mexican history, with biographies of major individuals. For precolonial Mexico, refer to the articles on Mesoamerica.

Latin America: A Political Dictionary. Ernest E. Rossi and Jack C. Plano. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1992.
(REF F 1406 R67 1992)
Brief articles on concepts, institutions, and events in Latin American politics since independence. The book is divided into chapters by subject (e.g. Historical Perspective, the Military). Refer to the index for specific topics.

Ely Library Catalog.
(Internet Site: http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/)
For books, audio-visual materials, etc. located in the Ely Library.
To find subject terms, use the Library of Congress Subject Headings, available at the Reference Desk, or browse the online catalog for ideas.
For more information on using the library catalog, see our guide to Searching the Ely Library Catalog. The following are examples of subject headings for topics in world history:

Church History	Civilization	Economic History
Historiography	History	History, Ancient
History—Methodology	History, Modern	History—Sources
Middle Ages	Military History	Naval History
Renaissance	Social History	World Politics

Subject headings for the general and special history of places follow these patterns (other place names and periods are also used):

Great Britain—Church History—19th century	Great Britain—Civilization—19th century
Great Britain—Economic conditions—19th century	Great Britain—Foreign Relations—19th century
Great Britain—History—19th century	Great Britain—Politics and government—19th century
Great Britain—Social conditions—19th century	Great Britain—Social life and customs—19th century

Historical Abstracts     Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#HistoricalAbstracts)
Provides historical coverage of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada) by providing citations to journals, books, and dissertations published worldwide in over forty languages. The database provides full-text links to many journal articles when they are available in linked databases.

JSTOR    Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#JSTOR)
Contains PDF full text of many scholarly journals, including a collection of 39 History journals. There are also collections for African Studies, Asian Studies, Geography, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, and Slavic Studies. Since coverage is retrospective, the latest 3-5 years of journal issues are not available. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Project Muse    Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Project Muse)
Contains the full text of current issues of journals for many subjects, including History, and African, Caribbean, French, Irish, Judaic, Latin American, Medieval, and Mediterranean studies. The latest 5-10 years of journal issues are available. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

In the First Person
(Internet Site: http://www.inthefirstperson.com)
A database indexing primary source documents available in digital repositories. This database indexes letters, diaries, oral histories, and personal narratives relating to all subjects and eras of American History. These documents can be searched by keyword or subject. The online files available include audio, video, and text versions of the accounts.

Academic Search Premier     Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Academic)
General subject coverage. For magazine and journal references as well as full-text articles. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Expanded Academic ASAP     Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Expanded Academic)
General subject coverage. For magazine and journal references as well as full-text articles. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

New York Times Historical Collection 1851-2005     Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#New York Times Historical)
Provides full-text and full-image articles for newspapers dating back to 1851. The historical collection includes PDF reproductions of every page from every issue. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Poole’s Index to Periodicals. 1802-1907.
(Periodical stacks)
A subject index to major British and American periodicals through 1907, with a separate author index.

The American Historical Association’s Guide to Historical Literature. Ed. by Mary Beth Norton. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
(REF D 20 A55 1995).
A bibliographic guide to the best historical writing, with brief descriptions.

WWW Resources by Subject: History (Ely Library at Westfield State College)
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/history.htm)
Provides links to web sites in history.

Latin American History: Recommended Websites (Ely Library at Westfield State College)
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/guidlatamerhistory.html#websites)

African-American History: Web Sites (Ely Library at Westfield State College)
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/guidafric.htm#web)

Historical Text Archive
(Internet Site: http://historicaltextarchive.com/)
From Mississippi State University. A collection of primary historical sources and historical research papers, organized by nation and topic.