Volume 1, Alphabetical List of Entries, Contributors, Introduction, Roots of War, Conflicts, Africa, Sub-Saharan, Volume 2, Americas, Asia, East and Southeast, Volume 3, Asia, South, Europe and Former Soviet Union, Middle East and North Africa, Volume 4, Oceania, Organizations, Alliances, Conventions, and Negotiations, Appendixes, Indexes
James Ciment
Since the end of World War II, there has hardly been a year without revolutions, civil war, uprisings, ethnic cleansings, etc. This new illustrated, four-volume encyclopedia researches 172 recent and significant post-World War II conflicts. Ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the text is divided into three sections: introductory essays on the causes of conflict, descriptions of various diplomatic efforts, and a discussion of conflicts that changed the course of late 20th-century history. Each entry provides the reader with an understanding of what happened, where and why it happened, who the belligerents were, and what (if any) were the objectives and resolutions. This work fills a critical need for a clear, in-depth explanation of recent events, though a few smaller incidents and, of course, Kosovo are missing. It would be convenient if the next edition were in loose-leaf form so the reader could add new pages as the wars go on. A work that should be in every larger public and university library.ÄStanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Gr 9 Up-This well-organized set covers events from the end of World War II to 1998. Volume one begins with three introductory chapters that put the conflicts into a broader context. The clearly written articles that follow range from 5 to 10 pages in length and begin with dates, type of conflict, a map, and an introduction that provides historical background. Although the issues surrounding these events are often complex, the authors have done a good job of clarifying them. Two of the three appendixes-the thumbnail biographies and the glossary of political and military terms, organizations, and operations-will be useful for answering quick reference questions. While there is no obvious bias in the writing, occasional statements are not substantiated, e.g., the suggestions that Serbs fled Kosovo in the 1980s because of the high Albanian birthrates and the fact that they "...did not like having to learn Albanian...." Numerous black-and-white photographs accompany the text. While there are other books on this topic, this volume provides the most comprehensive treatment of the period.-Herman Sutter, Saint Pius X High School, Houston, TX Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
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