Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. 2 vols. 737p. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 978-14144-3114-7; 2007-33628. $220.

Gale’s Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War places American conflicts in the larger context of global events and the nation’s evolving history. The two-volume set examines 15 major conflicts, beginning with the Native Americans’ struggles with Puritan settlers in the early 1600s and concluding with the war on terrorism, with a focus on Afghanistan, Iraq and peacekeeping missions throughout the world. Chapters follow the same organizational pattern throughout; a brief introduction is followed by the conflict’s causes, major figures, major battles and events and sections on the home front, international context and aftermaths. Each chapter concludes with a brief bibliography of additional resources, including books, periodicals and web sites. Hundreds of photos, illustrations and maps accompany the text and occasional sidebars expand on important concepts and interesting facts. This set is particularly strong in its attention to conflicts with Native American tribes. Three separate chapters explore the significant conflicts between Native Americans and settlers, going well beyond the obligatory mentions of Tecumseh, Geronimo, the Trail of Tears and Wounded Knee in most high school U.S. history texts. The “Home Front” section of the final chapter on Native American conflicts does a superb job of placing the decimation of indigenous Americans in the context of a history that includes Jim Crow, anti-immigration movements and the rise of social Darwinism and eugenics. Treatment of controversial events, including those in the current war on terror, are handled in an even-handed way. In each chapter, “The Home Front,” “International Context,” and “Aftermath” sections do an excellent job of placing these conflicts in a broader perspective. This is another in the Encyclopedia of U.S. History series that high school librarians may consider acquiring in the eBook version, as it provides an outstanding supplement to U.S. history texts. Highly recommended for public and high school libraries.
—Doug Achterman