Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide (Non-series) - Hardcover

Fritze, Ronald H.; Coutts, Brian E.; Vyhnanek, Louis A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0874368839 ISBN 13: 9780874368833

Publisher: ABC-CLIO, 2004

Synopsis

Fully annotated and completely updated―the most comprehensive guide to reference books in the field of history.

Reference Sources in History catalogs atlases, encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, sourcebooks, bibliographies, and chronologies and makes sense of it all. Its broad scope and systematic organization make it an accessible, reliable resource for experienced and inexperienced researchers alike.

Fully annotated and updated, the new edition summarizes hundreds of reference works on every conceivable subject in history―from ancient to modern, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. This edition also reflects the dramatic impact of the digital revolution on historical research by integrating a wide range of Internet and CD-ROM sources. Reference Sources in History is a time-saving alternative to searching the reference stacks or getting lost in an online thicket of dubious historical websites.

About this title

About the Author

Ronald H. Fritze is chairperson of the Department of History at the University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR.

Brian E. Coutts is head of the Department of Library Public Services at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY.

Louis A. Vyhnanek is head of the Social Sciences Collection Development at Holland/New Library, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.

Reviews

First published in 1990, this second edition contains entries on 930 reference works, making it almost one-third larger than its predecessor. The content is still organized in 14 chapters by topic, format, and country. The chapters cover bibliographies, historical statistics, biographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases, to give only a few examples. Each entry is helpfully numbered and includes useful bibliographical information and an evaluative annotation and frequently provides references to related works not listed in the volume. The index provides personal name and title access. Especially noteworthy are the listings of core journals and the extensive coverage of Web sites, databases, and CD-ROMs.

The editors are to be commended for mining the huge historical reference literature and compiling this compact and superbly researched guide. Nicely designed with easy-to-read type, this unique and updated work is highly recommended for both reference and acquisition librarians in public and academic libraries. The chapter on bibliographies lists Reference Books Bulletin as "one of the premier sources of reference reviews in the United States." Even if the editors hadn't offered this trenchant and wise observation, the volume is still outstanding! Donald Altschiller
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0874368839
• ISBN 13: 9780874368833
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 360