The new edition of our landmark reference set, now updated for the first in 15 years, deepens the original edition's coverage of major themes in world history with more than 40 new entries across 4 volumes. These include excerpts from ancient classics such as the Analects of Confucius and Rig Veda, sacred texts such as the Koran, Enlightenment sources from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Catherine the Great, and influential documents of the modern era such as Nelson Mandela's iconic speech “We Have Waited Too Long for Our Freedom" and the Paris Climate Accords. Like all installments in the “Milestone Documents" series, Milestone Documents in World History features in-depth scholarly commentary alongside each primary source, guiding students and researchers through a critical analysis of the source and its importance in world history.
Features and Benefits
Milestone Documents in World History is a useful reference for students and researchers exploring critical eras, events, themes, and cultures in world history, from Asia and the Pacific to Africa to Europe and the Americas. It supports a wide range of courses at the high school and college level and is an ideal starting point for research projects and papers. In addition, the scholarly commentary assists students and researchers in engaging with primary documents, analyzing textual sources, and comparing and contrasting historical texts, events, eras, and movements.
Organization and Format
The set is organized chronologically in four volumes. Within each volume, entries likewise are arranged chronologically by year.
Each entry in Milestone Documents in World History follows the same structure using the same standardized headings. The entries are divided into three main sections: Fact Box, Commentary and Analysis, and Document Text. Following is the full list of entry headings:
- The Fact Box includes the basic facts of the document: the year it was created, the author, the document type, and a statement summarizing the historical significance.
- Overview gives a brief summary of the document and its importance in history.
- Context places the document in its historical framework.
- About the Author presents a brief biographical profile of the person or persons who wrote the document, if known.
- Explanation and Analysis of the Document consists of a detailed examination of the text, generally in section-by-section or paragraph-by-paragraph format.
- Questions for Further Study proposes study questions for students.
- Further Reading lists books, articles, and websites for further research.
- Document Text includes the full or abridged text of the document, in English or English translation. Abridgements of the text are indicated by ellipses.
- Glossary defines important, difficult, or unusual terms in the document text
Each entry features the byline of the scholar who wrote the commentary.
