Guides To Research And Historical Literature

American Historical Association. Guide to Historical Literature. (New York: Macmillan, 1961.) *RB-B A comprehensive guide to historical literature for all periods and areas of the world. Especially strong on European history, with sections on individual countries, the expansion of Europe, World Wars I and II, and international relations. Most entries have brief annotations. Although now out-of-date, this volume is still useful, especially for retrospective bibliography and primary source material. A new edition is expected soon.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. The Modern Researcher. (San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985) 4th ed. *R-*IH 85-4575. Two historians discuss the nuts and bolts of historical writing: library research, note-taking, verification of evidence, interpretation of facts, quoting from and citing sources, and editing for publication. The methodology described here reflects the authors' view that history is "narrative and synthetic, not static and analytic." Opinionated and highly readable.

Fritze, Ronald H., Brian E. Coutts and Louis A. Vyhnanek. Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide. (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1990.) *RS-B 91-2272. This volume surveys all types of reference materials useful to historians, including bibliographies, periodical guides and indexes, newspapers, statistical sources, government publications, and biographical sources. The emphasis is on English-language titles in the fields of American and European history. Each of the 685 entries is fully annotated. A useful update to Helen J. Poulton's Historian's Handbook: A Descriptive Guide to Reference Books (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1972) *RS-B 72-1426.