Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Europe since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Edited by John Merriman and Jay Winter. 5 vols. 3135 p. $. ISBN-0-684-31497-5.

Students studying Europe in world history will learn about Imperial Europe where half of the countries were ruled by emperors and kings and these leaders in many countries were responsible for empires governing multinational populations around the globe. These have all disappeared as the countries being ruled slowly gained their independence, and Europe has become a Union spanning 25 nations from Ireland to the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The eastern boundary is still in flux with Russia, Turkey and the former Yugoslavia remaining outside the Union. Each volume begins with the table of contents for all 5 vols. and the same nine black and white maps. Vol. 1 has a three column 39-page chronology to help students trace the politics, science and technology, and the economy and society within each date. The signed articles have black and white photographs, charts, and graphs, brief bibliographies, and "see also" references. Each volume has 8 inset pages of color illustrations. Vol. 5 has a "Systematic Outline of Contents" as an overview of the conceptual scheme, the list of contributors and their topics, and the index to the complete set. This is not easy reading, but students will be able to start their research here or perhaps use the information to confirm or question what they have found or will find on the Web.