World History Reading List: Expanded Version.
World History Resource Center, Department of History.
Northeastern University.

      This bibliographic summary of the literature on world history contains roughly 200 entries, organized analytically. Principal attention has been given to works which adopt a global perspective on the past, but a significant effort has also been given to listing works which have brought advances in historical methodology, even if these were written in local or national perspective, or for disciplines other than history. The bibliography is limited almost exclusively to books rather than articles at this stage; it is hoped that major articles will be included in the future.

     The bibliography itself is organized into four principal sections, by the date of authorship. Works written before 1900 are listed in the first section, and are characterized as being dominated by the approach of historical philosophy. Works written between 1900 and 1970 are listed in the second section are characterized as general statements. The major works in world history published between 1971 and 1995, listed in the third section, are dominated by an analytical approach to topics which are more specifically defined than the general statements authored in the previous period. The last section, including works published since 1995, cannot yet be given a clear characterization as to its approach.

     For the literature since 1900, the sections are divided into sub-sections by thematic (or disciplinary) focus. The first sub-section is the broadest, including survey, syntheses and studies of civilizations. The remaining sub-sections address political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, technological, and any other themes.

     Finally, the sections are divided into sub-sections indicating the time period to which each work applies -- pre-1500, post-1500, or both. In an additional sub-sub section are listed works which are of methodological importance for world historians, but which were written in local or national perspective, or for a discipline other than history. Thus, for instance, E. P. Thompsons Making of the English Working Class and Foucauls Power/Knowledge are important texts for world historians to know, but they cannot be considered as works of world history.

     The bibliography includes a sampling of works covering most areas of the world. No effort has been made to present them in a geographical organization, however, in part to avoid reinforcing the idea that world history is a summation of discrete continental histories.

     This world history bibliography is and will always remain a work in progress. Please submit comments on its organization, and offer your suggestions for additions and deletions.

     Pat Manning August 10, 1998.