Modern European History
General Histories
New Cambridge Modern History. (Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press, 1957-1979). 14 vol. *R-BAF 1970. The standard authoritative
survey of Western history from the Renaissance to World War II, based on
the original Cambridge Modern History, published from 1902
to 1912. According to the general introduction, European "civilisation
is to be treated in all its aspects, political, economic, social, 'cultural'
and religious." Unlike its predecessor, the NCMH does
not include bibliographies; this omission was rectified with the publication
of A Bibliography of Modern History, edited by John Roach,
in 1968 (see below). Also consider the original CMH for its
fuller coverage of early modern Europe (BAF or D-17/4250).
Rise of Modern Europe, edited by William L. Langer. (New
York: Harper & Row, 1936-1985). *R-BTE. A 20-volume monographic
series, aimed at students and the educated public, which covers European
history from the thirteenth century through World War II. Editorial emphasis
is on the "larger forces common to the whole of European civilization,"
rather than "the division of European history into national units."
Each volume is written by a specialist and focuses on a particular phase
of European history. Overall quality is high with several outstanding contributions.
A detailed bibliographic essay concludes each volume.
