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Editorial
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What do the history of the universe, the collapse of great civilizations,
the 'rise of the West,' and the history of warfare have in common? Although
these subjects may at first seem unrelated, in the context of world history
they share a common goal: to understand the issue or problem under study
in its widest global context. Indeed, the ability of world history to bring
such a diversity of interests into dialogue is one of the most exciting
features of the field. And while world historians may not be united by a
focus on a particular region or era, we are drawn together by the desire
to understand the past in terms of connections, comparisons, and linkages
across both time and space. As Eric Martin aptly puts it in his article
featured in this issue, world history represents a particular "way of thinking"
that allows its practitioners to answer "big questions" about a wide variety
of complex, global processes. |
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The essays assembled here also point to the ways
that world history has been influenced by scholars outside the discipline
of history. A case in point is Jared Diamond, who gave WHC an interview
for this issue. Although Diamond is a scientist, his long-term, global perspective
on the past in his two most recent books—Guns, Germs, and Steel
(1999) and Collapse (2004)—has made a deep impression on the
field. Likewise Fred Spier, noted author of The Structure of Big History
(1996) and also featured in this issue, comes to history from a scientific
background. In fact, Spier argues it was his scientific background that
caused him to think in global terms in the first place, since it gave him
the tools to conceive of an "integrated history of the world, of life, humanity,
and the universe." Interestingly, and perhaps alarmingly, both Diamond and
Spier emphasize that of all the academics who engage with their work, historians
tend to be the most reluctant to take a long view of the past, and are the
least interested in scientific ideas more generally. If this is the case,
world historians may do well to redouble their efforts to keep the lines
of communication open between history and the various scientific disciplines.
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The problem of "lines of communication" is also
the focus of several other essays in this issue, albeit in different ways.
For example, Peter Stearns offers a look at the current divide between social
history and world history, and offers a way forward on how the two fields
might mutually benefit from closer collaboration. Wendy and Bill Bravman,
in contrast, focus on the disjuncture between the history and theory of
warfare and world history instruction in the classroom, and offer some fruitful
ways to address the problem. Meanwhile, Corey Johnson and Alice Spitzer
focus on the need to build bridges between the world history classroom and
libraries.
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In addition to these featured articles, this issue
also includes the first of what we hope will be many scholarly exchanges
between scholars with differing views about the world's past. In this case,
Ricardo Duchesne and Peer Vries exchange views about the nature of the "rise
of the West"—surely one of the most critical debates in the field
today. |
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As always, this issue also features our outstanding
regular columns, including a masterful exposition of Viet Nam in world history
by Marc Gilbert, an exploration of George Mason University's "World History
Matters" website by Wendy Eagan, and a guest column by Mary Jane Maxwell
of Washington State University. Readers will also find a number of book
reviews relevant to studying and teaching world history.
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Finally, this issue also features a tribute to Andre
Gunder Frank, who recently passed away after an extended illness. It is
written by Jeff Sommers, a friend and former student. As Jeff rightly points
out, although Gunder Frank was often controversial and was frequently outspoken,
his contributions to academia in general—and world history in particular—were
enormous, and his voice will be missed. |
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Heather Streets, co-editor
Tom Laichas, co-editor
Tim Weston, associate editor
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