Worldmark Chronology of the Nations: Europe - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787605255 ISBN 13: 9780787605254

Publisher: Gale Research Inc, 1999

Synopsis

Placing political, social, cultural and economic events in an integrated worldwide timeframe is a difficult task. The 4-vol. Worldmark Chronology of the Nations offers the perspective necessary to understand how people and events influence the evolution of nations.

Offering comprehensive overviews and detailed timelines of 194 nations with coverage of political, economic, cultural and social history, Worldmark Chronology of the Nations is more than a simple timeline. It provides in-depth, cross-disciplinary essays, biographies, primary document excerpts, term definitions, bibliographies, further reading and much more.

Entries profiling events, people and places range from 50 to 250 words, while overview essays on regions and nations run one to two pages. Along with appoximately 125 photographs and maps, each volume includes a graphical timeline that integrates the historical highlights from all countries, glossary, bibliographies for each country and an appendix of excerpts from primary documents. A subject index for each volume points researchers to terms, theories, practices, people, organizations and publications mentioned in the text.

About this title

From Booklist:

The result of work by more than 50 university professors, professional writers, journalists, and subject area experts, this alphabetically arranged chronology contains articles on 192 countries. Each of the volumes, "Africa," "Americas," "Asia," and "Europe," begins with a general time line of world history from prehistory to the present, providing a context for entries on individual nations. The nations profiled are those that existed at the end of the twentieth century, with articles covering the territory within modern geographic borders. A record of earlier nations, states, or empires occupying the same territory is included in the history of the nation currently existing. Though political leaders and military conflicts are covered, the emphasis is on social and cultural history.

A current map of each country and an inset map showing the country's location on its continent are included with each profile. In addition, some historic maps (more than 100 for the set as a whole) are provided, as are sidebars on areas, events, or organizations of cross-cultural or broad historical significance (e.g., the cold war, the League of Nations). Profiles begin with an overview providing general information on the country, its people, and its history, followed by a time line that consists of dated entries covering an era, a decade, or a specific year or date. These entries briefly describe key people and events that shaped the nation. Each profile ends with a bibliography of generally seven to eleven print works, while a comprehensive bibliography is repeated at the end of each volume, along with an accurate index (devoid of guide words) covering the entire set and a glossary.

The double-column page layout is open, clear, and approachable, and entries are enhanced by a judicious use of black-and-white photographs as well as the above-mentioned maps. The large, sturdily bound volumes lie open satisfactorily, facilitating note taking. The expository writing is very dry but entirely lucid, making for a text that is easy for high-school and college users to comprehend. Occasional problems with the weighting (more space given to the death and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, than to the entire life of Queen Elizabeth I, for example) can be overlooked given the set's general utility as a source of basic information and referral to more comprehensive sources on any country's history and current status (through early 1999). Similar in scope to the four-volume Chronology of World History [RBB Jl 99], through different in organization, Worldmark Chronology of the Nations will be useful in high-school, public, and academic libraries, especially where its sister sets, Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life [RBB My 1 98] and Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations [RBB Ap 1 95], are popular.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up-This set encapsulates the histories of 192 nations primarily through brief entries that combine political, social, cultural, and economic events in individual chronologies. While some entries cover dates in ancient times, the emphasis is on social and cultural history in the 20th century. Nations are organized alphabetically by geographic area (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe), a format paralleling that found in the companion sets, Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations and Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (both Gale, 1998). A one-to-two page overview precedes the information about each country. Current black-and-white maps are provided, along with occasional historic maps, photographs, and sidebars. Despite the authority of the data, this specialized resource is of limited usefulness to students. The accumulated wealth of historical tidbits fails to illuminate the interrelatedness of people and events over time and across borders, and what is left out may be more significant than what is included. Coverage on important topics such as AIDS in Africa or the information revolution is scant. An incomplete index presents a barrier to access. Cross-references for people and place names are insufficient; for example, there is no "see Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC)" reference for users looking up the obsolete Zaire. Librarians may find that other world-history references, including earlier Worldmark titles, better satisfy the broader needs of young researchers.
Mary Ann Carcich, Suffolk County Community College Library, Riverhead, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Gale Research Inc
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0787605255
• ISBN 13: 9780787605254
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 4
• Editor: Gall Timothy G., Gall Susan B.