Dictionary of Historic Documents

Still the only reference of its kind, Dictionary of Historic Documents, Revised Edition provides basic factual information about more than 2,400 significant documents in world history. Included are key acts, constitutions, proclamations, treaties, bills, laws, agreements, and speeches, among others, from ancient codes, such as Hammurabi's Code, to modern agreements and speeches, such as the Kyoto Protocol or President George W. Bush's "Freedom and Fear Are at War" speech.
Arranged in an easy-to-use A-to-Z format, each entry includes a concise summary describing the principal details of the document, its significance and historical context, as well as primary or secondary sources for further reference. Cross-references, a list of entries by category, a timetable of documents, an extensive bibliography, and an index make the information readily accessible. This edition features more than 100 new entries.

This revised edition of the Dictionary of Historic Documents continues in the same vein as the first, with brief descriptions of historical documents such as treaties, charters, laws, and some speeches and decrees as well as some important works of fiction and nonfiction. With some exceptions, the main focus is again on the last 300 years and on Western civilization. Kohn has expanded his work to nearly 2,400 entries (more than 100 of them new), each of which is roughly a paragraph in length. The intended audience is high-school students, undergraduates, and the general public. Well versed in the arena of reference works, Kohn has also given us such titles as the Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence (Facts On File, 1995) and the Encyclopedia of American Scandal (Facts On File, 1989).

Entries are arranged in alphabetical order by document name and include helpful cross-references. Along with an alphabetical index, there is also an index by category, a select bibliography, and a timetable of documents. There are several key differences between this and the previous edition. Most obviously, the entries have been updated and include more recent documents, such as the Maastricht Treaty and "Megan's Law." Also included are documents from previous eras that were not included last time, such as the Japanese Constitution of 1946. Another major difference is that there is a further reading section after each entry, which often suggests where one might find the document's text. This is in addition to the bibliography at the end of the book. The author has also made an effort to provide URLs to documents that are available online.

Since its previous incarnation, this book has improved on several levels, incorporating changes that we suggested in our 1991 review. The value is increased by identifying sources that contain the texts of individual documents. Recommended for high-school, undergraduate, and public libraries. RBB
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