RUSA History Section Bibliography and Indexes Committee
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Each year, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) History Section’s Bibliography and Indexes Committee continues its project to honor outstanding book-length English-language bibliographies in the field of history. It is our goal to encourage both the work of scholars in the bibliography of history and the publishers who support this important activity. This year’s titles were published in 2005 or 2006.
As the publication and usage of bibliographies and indexes evolve in the electronic age, this committee is compelled to evolve as well. Over the next year, ours will be a committee in transition. The committee’s name and charge will change to reflect this development. The committee will soon be known as the Historical Materials Committee, with a charge to promote and recognize achievements in improving access to historical materials, regardless of format. Next year’s announcement of honorees will be a hybrid, acknowledging the best print bibliographies and indexes as well as other new and noteworthy resources for accessing historical materials.
For 2007, the committee will evaluate works published in 2006 and 2007. All members of the library profession are invited to submit titles to the committee for consideration. Nominated titles can be from any period of history. Titles for consideration, with appropriate bibliographic information, should be sent to Shelley Arlen, shelarl@uflib.ufl.edu.The next submission deadline is October 31, 2007.
Anderson, D. Brian. The Titanic in Print and on Screen: An Annotated Guide to Books, Films, Television Shows, and Other Media. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2005. 182p. $35 (ISBN: 0-7864-1786-2).
Organized by genre, this work on a popular culture icon comprises sections on nonfiction books, pamphlets, audio, narrative films, television episodes and anthologies, documentary films and videos, selected essays and articles, comic books and parodies, and multimedia software. Anderson provides an index and five appendixes detailing such information as actors appearing in more than one Titanic film and film projects that were either unrealized or not released. Each entry includes an analysis of the work as well as any relevant technical information pertaining to films or software. This volume will be of particular interest to Titanic scholars, cultural historians, and specialized scholars in maritime history and film studies. Others will find it is an entertaining read.–Brooke Becker, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Chilana, Rajwant Singh. International Bibliography of Sikh Studies. Dordrecht: Springer, 2005. 581p. $249.95 (ISBN: 978-1-4020-3043-7 [print] 978-1-4020-3044-4 [online]).
Chilana’s bibliography presents an annotated list of general print and electronic reference resources for Sikh studies, arranged by type of source. Among the many sections on Sikhs or Sikhism, the following topics are represented: gurus; scriptures and gurbani; bhagats and saints; philosophy; history; politics; leaders; art and architecture; numismatics; culture and traditions; Sikhs as Khalsa (the dominant order of Sikhism); code of conduct; institutions and ceremonies; and symbols and identity. It is further subdivided by a listing of books, journal articles, articles within books, and dissertations, and it includes an author and subject index. The breadth and depth appears exhaustive. The materials included are from major research collections in North America, Britain, and India, and the work collocates access to otherwise unknown sources. Highly recommended for research institutions.–Jennalyn Tellman, University of Arizona Library, Tucson
Cohen, Ronald I. Bibliography of the Writings of Sir Winston Churchill. London: Thoemmes, 2006. 2183p. $990 (ISBN: 0-8264-7235-4 [set]).
Exhaustive in scope and annotated in great detail, this monumental work emerges as the definitive bibliography of Churchill’s writings. In three volumes, Cohen identifies thousands of items from more than 180 libraries and archives, including books, pamphlets, and leaflets; contributions (such as introductions, forewords, and letters) to others’ works; speeches printed in books and periodicals; contributions to periodical literature, including letters and articles; and telegrams from war zones. Government documents and memoranda are excluded. Annotations describe contents, typography and paper, illustrations, maps, facsimiles, binding, dust jacket, publication and printing history, translations, collection locations, and circumstances of publication. Indexes are arranged by volume title, article title, and subject. Highly recommended for research collections.–Michelle Baildon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries, Cambridge
Evans, Craig A. Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publ., 2005. 539p. $34.95 (ISBN: 1-56563-409-8).
Competent New Testament exegesis requires familiarity with the cognate literatures and their relevance, and Evans’ volume serves as an introduction for the layperson and a reference tool for the scholar. A major revision of Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation (1992), Ancient Texts covers eleven categories of writings: Old Testament (OT) apocrypha, OT pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea scrolls, versions of the OT, Philo and Josephus, the Targumim, rabbinic literature, NT pseudepigrapha, early church fathers, gnostic writings, and other. Appendixes discuss allusions, parallels, parables, miracle stories, and messianic claimants. While some may quibble with this or that omission, Evans’ scholarship is impressive, and the resulting work is sure to become a standard in New Testament studies. Recommended for research libraries.–Shelley Arlen, University of Florida Libraries, Gainesville
Greene, John Robert, and Allan Metz, et al. Richard M. Nixon: A Bibliography. Middletown, Conn.: Godfrey Memorial Library, 2006. 363p. $45 (ISBN: 0-9761789-04).
This book is an exhaustive guide to sources relevant to the life and presidency of Richard Nixon. It is divided into twenty descriptive sections, each one representing a unique genre or format of source. These sections identify a variety of materials, ranging from manuscript, archival, and special collections sources, to cinematic, televised, and other dramatic portrayals. While concentrating primarily on sources specifically related to Nixon’s presidency, the work includes sections on other topics, such as the vice-presidency of Spiro Agnew. The intended audience is graduate students or professional historians. The volume is unique in both its depth of coverage and scope of a single subject. Highly recommended for research institutions.–Elisabeth Pankl, Louisiana State University Libraries, Baton Rouge
Hacker, Barton C. World Military History Annotated Bibliography: Premodern and Nonwestern Military Institutions (Works Published before 1967). History of Warfare, 27. Boston: Brill, 2005. 305p. $134 (ISBN: 90-04-14071-9).
Hacker expands on his previous bibliography, which covered works published from 1967 to 1997. Acknowledging bibliographies focusing on military history and warfare abound, Hacker is selective in determining works for inclusion. The emphasis is not on specific military campaigns, but rather on military institutions, methods of warfare, and relationships between the military and other social organizations. Coverage extends from antiquity to the early twentieth century, with parts devoted to general and comparative topics, the ancient world, western and eastern Eurasia, sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, pre-Columbian America, and Indians in post-contact America. Entries are arranged by author, with brief annotations. This is an excellent tool for identifying periodical literature. It will be an especially valuable resource to those interested in the comparative history of military institutions and warfare. Recommended for research libraries.–Janalyn Moss, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City
Hendrickson, Kenneth E. The Life and Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: An Annotated Bibliography. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2005. 1,254p. $300 (ISBN: 0-8108-5661-1).
Hendrickson has delivered a monumental bibliography on Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This three-volume set contains annotated entries on 9,860 books, articles, and dissertations (compiled up to 1994), omitting popular journals, battle literature, and non-print material. The work contains a detailed chronology, an extensive table of contents, and thorough subject and author indexes providing great access to the entries. Chapters are well-organized by subject and include introductory essays. Subjects covered include biographical information and domestic affairs during the presidency. Foreign affairs chapters are separated into pre-war and World War II. Bibliographies, documents, and general reference works also are included. A separate volume for the indexes makes it easy to use with the bibliography. Hendrickson’s bibliography is an essential tool for scholarship on FDR. Highly recommended for all libraries.–Lisa Scharnhorst, Seattle (Wash.) Public Library
Mutch, Deborah. English Socialist Periodicals, 1880-1900: A Reference Guide. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate, 2005. 480p. $99.95 (ISBN: 0-7546-5205-X).
This guide lists the literary content, serialized fiction, short stories, children’s literature, drama, and poetry from thirty-nine socialist periodicals. Mutch’s intention is to increase awareness of the value of literary materials in publications normally examined for their political content. This approach reveals fresh avenues for the study of English labor and the working class. Evocative titles such as “Father’s on Strike,” “The Woman with Two Husbands,” and “The Young Orphans” suggest how these works can be mined for insights into English social history. The relatively narrow time period and lack of a subject index make this bibliography most appropriate for libraries supporting advanced historical research in fields as diverse as literature, media studies, communications, or politics. The sections on cartoons and children’s literature, and works by well-known authors, such as Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling, may attract a general audience.–Eric Novotny, University Libraries, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Roccos, Linda Jones. Ancient Greek Costume: An Annotated Bibliography, 1784-2005. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2006. 169p. $39.95 (ISBN: 0-7864-2774-4).
Intended for student or scholar, this excellent bibliography covers ancient Greek costume studies from early descriptive works to recent interpretive works. This volume includes entries for books, book chapters, dissertations, journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and reference books, but not master’s theses, abstracts of papers or juvenile literature, nor works that only mention garments tangentially. Works cited are in English, German, and French, with a few in Greek or Italian. The 603 entries are arranged alphabetically by author, with a topical index. Authoritatively written abstracts are mainly descriptive, but often include evaluative comments as well. Three short introductions discuss the subject of ancient Greek costume, themes of scholarly interest, and the purpose and scope of the bibliography. Roccos holds a doctorate in Classical Art and Archaeology and is a reference and instruction librarian and coordinator of electronic resources at the College of Staten Island.–Jean S. Kiesel, Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana Library at Lafayette