Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties and Alliances, 2-Volume Set, Second Edition (Facts on File Library of World History) [Hardcover]

Charles Phillips (Author), Alan Axelrod (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0816060754 | ISBN-13: 978-0816060757 | Publication Date: November 2005 | Edition: 2

Treaties and alliances govern relations among states and have exerted tremendous influence on historical events through the ages. But it can be difficult to find concise and accurate summaries of the terms of specific treaties and their effect on signatories. Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties and Alliances provides this information - together with extensive excerpts from the treaties themselves for more than 400 international agreements - in an elegantly accessible format.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The first edition of this work, which was published in 2001 and had coverage to 1997, was recommended for any library serving history researchers. The new edition has added a number of treaties that missed the cutoff in the earlier edition plus new agreements in the rapidly changing, transnational world of terror, human trafficking, and other challenges.

Arrangement is generally historical by era, with 15 chapters covering, for example, "Epoch of Napoleon" and "Cold War, Peaceful Coexistence." Each chapter begins with an introduction and then is arranged by type of agreement, such as diplomatic treaties, multinational conventions, or proclamations. A boxed "Treaty at a Glance" introduces each of the 220 documents that are discussed and includes the dates and signatories. Objective, clearly written narratives cover the history leading up to the agreements as well as their significance and consequences. The full text of the documents is not usually supplied unless it is very short, but enough of the wording is given for users to gain an accurate feeling of the whole. The location of the full documents, whether in print or on a Web site, is noted.

Among the documents are the Louisiana Purchase, agreements between the U.S and Native Americans, secret treaties and annexes, the full text of a terrorist organization covenant, and protocols on climate change and the remnants of war. Although the work begins in ancient Mesopotamia, the bulk of the documents cover the last few centuries. The agreements are current in text through 2003 and in narrative to the summer of 2005, including information on those that are not yet in force or the U.S. has not signed. Access is enhanced by an alphabetical list at the front of the set, a chronological list at the end, an accurate index, and cross-references. The encyclopedia also contains an extensive bibliography.

The six-volume Major Peace Treaties of Modern History, 1648-2000 (Chelsea House, 2002) does include the full texts but is clearly aimed at academic libraries. Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties and Alliances will be very useful for general public use. Arthur Meyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

'The whole arrangement, the chapter divisions, their internal subdivisions and the text plan, are well considered, relevant and entirely user-friendly.' - Reference Reviews --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1072 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File; 2 edition (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816060754
• ISBN-13: 978-0816060757
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,261,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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