Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader. Volume Two: Since 1400 [Paperback]

Reilly (Author), Kevin Reilly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999 | ISBN-10: 0312157886 | ISBN-13: 978-0312157883

Compiled by a widely respected world historian and community college teacher, Worlds of History fosters historical thinking through thematic comparisons of primary and secondary sources from around the world. Each chapter takes up a major theme — such as patriarchy, love and marriage, or globalization — as experienced by two or more cultures. "Thinking Historically" exercises build students’ capacity to analyze and interpret sources one skill at a time. This flexible framework accommodates a variety of approaches to teaching world history. The latest edition offers a broader range of sources with an even more global perspective.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Reilly is a professor of humanities at Raritan Valley College and has taught at Rutgers, Columbia, and Princeton Universities. Co-founder and first president of the World History Association, Reilly wrote The West and the World and has edited a number of works in world history including Readings in World Civilization and the World History syllabus collection. As a specialist in immigration history, Reilly was tapped to create the "Modern Global Migrations" globe at Ellis Island's Museum of the History of Immigration. His work on the history of racism led to the editing of Racism: A Global Reader. He was a Fulbright scholar in Brazil (1989) and Jordan (1994). In 1992, the Community College Humanities Association named him "Distinguished Educator of the Year."

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Bedford / St. Martin's (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312157886
• ISBN-13: 978-0312157883
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,248,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book for primary sources, October 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader. Volume Two: Since 1400 (Paperback)

I used this book for my AP World History course. I have to say that this book is very effective for the purpose. The book offers many primary sources from many different places. To help out with the understanding, it offers some review questions at the beginning of each primary source. It may be hard to read at times, but it is worth its weight in gold for all it offers.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Biased and with glaring omissions..., February 2, 2011

By 

George Brunson - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Worlds of History, Volume One: To 1550: A Comparative Reader (Paperback)

I purchased this book (along with its companion second volume) for my son who is a seventh-grader with a genuine interest in history. It seemed like a concise yet broad survey, which could provide a young history buff with many starting points for further exploration, and the good reviews were encouraging. Unfortunately, as I did a quick review prior to giving the set to my son, I found the books woefully lacking. The author is extremely biased in his choices of people and events covered, and manipulative in his presentation tone.

The books completely ignore many important facts and events, which one might be willing to excuse due to the breadth of the subject and the size of this survey, yet certain topics are belabored and overexposed to such an extent that the excuse falls apart. (If the author was attempting to be brief, then he should have cut some of the extra details from topics that are already heavily covered and used the space to add at least a sentence about other important events).

For example, in the last chapter of the first volume, covering science and technology, the author spends pages discussing the Judeo-Christian doctrine, yet mentions Newton and Galileo in two fleeting sentences, more as an afterthought than anything else, and without any background or context. No real information regarding the scientific revolution, taking place in Europe during the mid-Renaissance period, that would set the stage for the development of western science as we know it is provided.

In his coverage of World War I and post-war events in the second volume, the author presents a highly sanitized view of Turkey. He spends pages on Turkey, yet cannot find room for at least a brief mention of the genocide of more than a million Armenian, as well as Greek, Assyrian, Jewish civilians, which effectively provided a blueprint for ethnic cleansing that was further developed and "perfected" in the form of the Holocaust. I have great interest in World War I and early 20th century history, so I have spent a lot of time reading about and studying this era. I am not as knowledgeable about many other historical periods, nonetheless, even for someone like me, the bias and spin are very obvious.

I will be sending this two-volume set back and will keep looking for a better option for my son.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good condition, October 4, 2010

By 

Dave - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Worlds of History, Volume One: To 1550: A Comparative Reader (Paperback)

Even though I ordered it used it barely looked it. Before I got the item I sent e-mails with questions to the seller and they answered back politely and promptly. This text book is a great buy full of both secondary and primary sources.