James Madison University
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History

History - Bibliographies

Compiled by: Gordon W. Miller Liaison Librarian for History, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science November 2002

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Research in history, as in most areas, is enhanced through the judicious use of bibliographies. The word bibliography has several meanings. For our use we will define it as"a list of books or other research materials, frequently annotated, on a particular subject, time period, or author." It is important to realize that "bibliographies are where you find them." Books and journal articles frequently contain useful bibliographies. Entries in Leonardo or WorldCat will note if a given book contains a bibliography. Some encyclopedia articles, dictionaries, and manuals will list additional sources.

Carrier Library has hundreds of bibliographies useful in historical research. This handout lists several of the most important and well known titles. An attempt has been made to include most time periods and geographic areas. The annotations are intended to assist in determining the value to the individual researcher.

The handout starts with a brief section entitled Bibliography of Bibliographies. These titles are useful in determining where specific bibliographies are located. Researchers at all levels of American history studies will find the title edited by Beers useful. All historical areas should find Bibliographic Index helpful. Besterman's is more appropriate for the advanced researcher.

The historical researcher must realize that Carrier Library will not have some titles that are located in the bibliographies. The listed bibliographies are tools that record the historical literature throughout the United States, and even throughout the world.

Bibliographies can be located in the subject catalogs by using such terms as:

Bibliography-Bibliography-History
[Country/Region]-History-Bibliography
History-Bibliography

The subheading BIBLIOGRAPHY is an accepted way to locate bibliographies.

Examples: (1.) Middle Ages - Bibliography
(2.) Monroe Doctrine - Bibliography
(3.) Polo, Marco, 1254-1323? - Bibliography
(4.) Renaissance - Bibliography

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Table of Contents

• Bibliography of Bibliographies
• Bibliographies

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Bibliography of Bibliographies

Beers, Henry P. Bibliographies in American History, 1942-1978: Guide to Materials for Research. 2 vol. Woodbridge, Conn.: Research Publications, 1982.
(Ref E 178 B39 1982).

Comprehensive source arranged by topics. Chapters are arranged by unpublished works, published works, archives and manuscripts, economic history, education, ethnicity and minorities, religious history, by states and regions, etc. Books, documents, and articles are included. This continues the original, 1942, edition is available at the same call number.

Besterman, Theodore. A World Bibliography of Bibliographies; and of Bibliographical Catalogues, Calendars, Abstracts, Digests, Indexes, and the Like. 5 vol., 4th ed. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield, 1965-1966.
(Ref Z1002 B5684)

Exhaustive attempt to list all bibliographies of bibliographies worldwide in all languages. Over 117,000 entries in 16,000 subject headings and subheadings. Not annotated. All subjects.

Bibliographic Index; A Cumulative Bibliography of Bibliographies. New York: H.W. Wilson vol. 1- . 1938- . Semi-annual, annual, (multi-year cumulations vol. 1-8, 1937-1968).
(Index/Abstract Tables)

International geographical coverage. Books and journal articles are included. All subjects.

Coulter, Edith M., and Gerstenfeld, Melanie. Historical Bibliographies; A Systematic and Annotated Guide. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1935.
(Z6201 A1 C8 1935)

The author,s selected 775 bibliographies from throughout the world and all historical time periods. The annotated entries are in English, other European, and Russian languages.

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Bibliographies

Arksey, Laura. American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. 2 vol.
(Ref CT 214 A73 1983).

The standard bibliography to American diaries and journals. Ca. 6,000 published diaries are arranged chronologically from 1492-1980. The diaries are listed for the year in which the diary began. Extensive indexing.

Asamani, J.O. Index Africanus. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 1975.
(Ref DT 3 A73 1975).

Africa is the total continent except for Islamic areas. Arrangement is general, regional, and countries within regions. Western languages in journal articles, Festschriften, symposia, and conference proceedings from 1885 to 1965 are included. Not annotated.

Bibliographie Annuelle de L'Histoire de France du Cinquieme Siecle a 1939. Paris: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1956- . annual.
(Ref DC 38 B5).

Arrangement is topical and covers all time periods. All European languages. Books and articles. Beginning in 1964 coverage is to 1945 and in 1975 coverage extended through 1958. Carrier Library has this bibliography beginning with 1973.

Bibliography of Asian Studies. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Association for Asian Studies, vol. 1- . 1941-1991. annual. Place of publication varies.
(Ref DS 5 B49).

Annual bibliography of books and articles in European languages on Asian studies.

Carrier Library holdings:
1941-1956 microfilm in Far Eastern Quarterly.
(NOTE: This is filed as Journal Of Asian Studies. From 1941-1948 it was published on a quarterly basis.)
1956-1966 bound in Journal of Asian Studies.

Bibliography of British History; Tudor Period, 1485-1603. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1959.
(Ref DA 315 R28 1959).

Comprehensive, standard bibliography for the period covered. There are several other bibliographies with the same main title covering other time periods, e.g. Stuarts. The volume covering the earliest period has the varying title A Bibliography of English History to 1485. This series is located close together in the Reference stacks but each title has its own call number.

Crosby, Everett U. Medieval Studies: A Bibliographic Guide. New York: Garland, 1983.
Ref CB 351 C75 1983).

This massive annotated bibliography is arrangec by general topics, geographic areas, and specific subjects. European languages. The standard bibliography.

Duignan, Peter, ed. Guide to Research and Reference Works on Sub-Saharan Africa. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, (1971 or 1972).
(Ref DT 351 D78 1971).

Over 3000 annotated treatises, reference works, journals, etc. are listed. The four sections are 1) research organizations, libraries, and onlines, 2) general bibliographies on Africa, 3) topical selection, and 4) regional sources.

Filby, P. William. A Bibliography of American County Histories. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985.
(Ref E 180 F54 1985).

Arranged by state and county Filby's work lists the significant published county histories. It does not include histories of units smaller than a county. It does include some regional historical studies. This should be used with the comprehensive United States Histories in the Library of Congress (see below).

Foreign Affairs Bibliography: A Selected and Annotated list of Books on International Relations. New York: Council on Foreign Relations. 1919/1932- .
(Ref JX 1391 F73).

Comprehensive coverage of books in English and major European languages. Brief descriptive annotations. Arrangement is by topic chronologically since 1914, and by world regions. Published in ten year cumulations since 1932. The quarterly journal Foreign Affairs keeps this series current.

Friedel, Frank, ed. Harvard Guide to American History. 2 vol. rev. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1974.
(Ref E 178 F77 1974).

American history in its widest sense is used in this bibliography. Brief essays introduce the chapters. Volume one is topical. The second volume is chronological. A leading historical bibliography.

Genealogical & Local History Books in Print. 4th & 5th eds. Springfield, VA: Genealogical Books in Print, 1985- .
(Ref CS 47 U5 G45).

Comprehensive listing of current books on local history and genealogy. The arrangement is topical, geographic, and by family. Over 3600 vendors addresses are listed. Many of the entries are published by individuals and/or local publishers.

Gephart, Ronald M., comp. Revolutionary America, 1763-1789: A Bibliography. 2 vol. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1984.
(Ref E 208 G43 1984).

Almost 15,000 extensively annotated citations are available in this stunning example of a historical bibliography. Monographs, dissertations, articles, collected works, festschriften, pamphlets, manuscript (primary sources), etc. are listed. At the end of the second volume is the essay "The Preservation and Publication of Documentary Sources on the Revolution" which notes over 400 major primary source series on the Revolution. Generally topically arranged with geographic and/or chronological grouping within sections. A model bibliography.

Griffin, Appleton P.C.Bibliography of American Historical Societies. [Washington, D.C.: American Historical Association], 1907. 2nd ed.
(Ref E 172 A60 1905 v.2).

This is an important bibliography for pre-twentieth century American history. Griffin indexed all major historical society periodicals up to 1905. Although the arrangement is awkward for a researcher today the indexing and content makes this a useful tool.

Griffin, Charles C., ed. Latin America: A Guide to the Historical Literature. Austin, Tex.: Published for the Conference on Latin American History by the University of Texas Press, 1971. (Ref F 1408 G753 1971).

Over 7000 books and articles are included in this annotated bibliography. Arrangement is topical, geographical, and chronological.

Handbook of Latin American Studies. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas press, 1935- . annual. Place of publication, and publisher vary.
(Ref F 1408 H262).

A scholarly, annotated bibliography. Topical and geographical arrangement. Essays introduce the chapters. Since 1964 even years list humanities (includes history) and odd-numbered years are devoted to the social sciences (includes international/foreign relations). Books, articles, documents, maps, etc. are included. The major bibliography for Latin America. Also available on the Internet @ HLAS.

Haynes, Donald, ed. Virginiana in the Printed Book Collections of the Virginia State Library. 2 vol. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1975.
(Ref F 226 V54 1975).

A bibliography of ca. 22,000 titles covering all time periods. Alphabetically arranged entries. Volume two is the subject index. An example of Carrier Library holdings of Virginiana bibliographies.

Journal of American History. 1964- .
(Journal)

An example of a journal having bibliographies. Each issue has a bibliography of current journal articles and dissertations in a subject arrangement. Other journal examples include French Historical Studies which has a column "Recent Books on French History," and Journal of Southern History which has an annual bibliography of recent journal articles on Southern history.

Kaminkow, Marion J., ed. Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography . 2 vol. Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1972.
(Ref CS 47 U53).

The extensive genealogy holdings of the Library of Congress are listed. Alphabetical arrangement by family name. A supplement for the years 1972-1976 is located at the Magna Carta Book Co. published A Complement to Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography, ed. by Marion J. Kaminkow. This has ca. 20,000 genealogies from twenty-four libraries throughout the United States. These genealogies do not duplicate what is in the Library of Congress. The arrangement is alphabetical by family name.

Kaminkow, Marion J., ed. United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography. 5 vol. Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1975-1976.
(Ref E 180 U59 1975).

A catalog, in book format, of the extensive local history holdings of the Library of Congress. The arrangement is by state. The bibliography is listed by LC classification. At the beginning of each state's section is an overview of the classification scheme for the state. This will assist the researcher is quickly locating their area of interest. Volume 5 is a supplement to the main set.

Larned Josephus N.The Literature of American History: A Bibliographic Guide. New York: F, Unger, 1902.
(Ref E 178 L3 1966).

An important bibliography for pre-twentieth century American history. Useful for its listing of source material its critical annotations to the citations.

Miller, Wayne C. A Comprehensive Bibliography for the Study of American Minorities . 2 vol. New York: New York University Press, 1976.
(Ref E 184 A1 M5).

Almost 30,000 entries are contained in the bibliography. Arrangement is by minority, e.g. Black-American experience or Danish-American experience. For each minority there is a breakdown for history, religion, sociology, etc. A historical=bibliographical essay introduces each minority group. A major work.

Nevins, Allan, et. al., ed. Civil War Books: A Critical Bibliography. 2 vol. Baton Rouge, LA.: Louisiana State University Press, 1967-1969.
(Ref E 468 N35 1967).

Brief, critical annotations are featured in this important bibliography. Alphabetical arrangement of titles within fifteen subject categories make up the bibliography. Books and pamphlets only are cited.

Norton Mary B., ed. The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical Literature . 3rd ed. New York:Oxford University, 1995. 2 vol.
(Ref D 20 A 55 1995).

With ca. 27,000 annotated citations this source is the best bibliography currently available of history. Coverage is universal. Most of the entries are English language publications published between 1961-1992. This work is arranged in 48 topical sections. Earlier editions are @ 1. Ref D 20 A55 1961 and 2. Ref D 20 A55 1931. These earlier editions will be useful for works published in earlier times.

Porter, Dorothy B., comp. The Negro in the United States: A Selected Bibliography . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1970.
(Ref E 185 P67 1970).

Topical arrangement. Unannotated.

Recently Published Articles. Washington, D.C.: American Historical Association. vol. 1- . 1976-1990.
(Index Abstracts Stacks)

Prior to 1976 this bibliography was published in issues of the American Historical Review. A chronological and geographical index to scholarly articles worldwide European languages.

Roach, John, ed. A Bibliography of Modern History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968.
(Ref D 208 N4 supp.)

To be used with the New Cambridge Modern History series which lacks bibliographies. Brief, and generally critical, annotations are a feature of this standard bibliography of modern Europe. Divided into chronological sections covering 1493-1648, 1648-1793, 1793-1945. Within each section there are both chronological and country divisions.

Swem, Earl G., comp. Virginia Historical Index. Gloucester, [Mass.]: Peter Smith, 1934. 4 vol.
(Ref F 221 S93 1965).

An outstanding bibliography to Virginia history. Mandatory for Virginia historical research prior to 1930. The compiler has indexed a number of journal and legal publications. Exhaustive coverage. Also available at the reference desk as a CD-ROM formatted bibliography.

Trask, David F., et. al. A Bibliography of United States - Latin American Relations Since 1810: A Selected List of Eleven Thousand Published References. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska press, 1968.
(Ref F 1418 T7 1968).

Following introductory sections on general sources there are chronological and country listing. European and Japanese language books, articles, documents, etc. are provided. Over 10,000 unannotated citations. In 1979 Michael C. Meyer had a supplement to Trask of ca. 3500 citations. It is located at the same Reference call number.

United States. Library of Congress. The United States and Sub-Saharan Africa: Guide to Official Documents and Government-Sponsored Publications, 1976-1980. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1984.
(Gov Doc LC 41.12:N3 )

Comprehensive coverage for the period of time noted. Over 5000 entries. Some entries are briefly annotated. Arrangement is by country. Citations to Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) articles are included. A volume covering the years 1785-1975 is located at Government Documents LC 1.12/2:AF8/2/785-975.

United States. Library of Congress. General Reference and Bibliography Division. A Guide to the Study of the United States of America; Representative Books Reflecting the Development of American Life and Thought. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1960.
(Ref E 158 U53 1960).

In 1976 a supplement for the years 1956-1965 was published. It is located at the same Reference call number. Extensively annotated bibliography of almost 6500 titles is a wide range of American history and culture.

Waserman, Manfred, comp. Bibliography on Oral History. rev. ed. New York: The Oral History Association, 1975.
(Ref D 16.14 W313 1975).

Over 300 citations to articles and a few books are included. Some entries have brief annotations. Appendices list oral history collection catalogs and "Selected Books Incorporating Oral History Material."

Work, Monroe N. A Bibliography of the Negro in Africa and America.. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1928.
(Ref E 185 W67 1928).

Over 17,000 references, some annotated, are contained in the bibliography. English language books and articles predominate. Some Western European language citations are included. Topical arrangement by Africa, United states, West Indies, and Latin America.

World War II From an American Perspective: An Annotated Bibliography. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1983.
(Ref D 743 W67 1983).

Over 1100 citations to journal articles published between 1971 to 1981 are contained in this bibliography. Alphabetically arranged by author. Detailed index.

Writings on American History. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. vol. 1- . 1902- . Place of publication and publisher vary. Annual publication. Never published for the years 1904-1905 and 1941-1947. A cumulative index for 1902-1904 is available.
(Ref E 178 L311).

Exhaustive coverage for books and journals articles. History includes culture, local, regional, families, etc. in addition to general history. Carrier Library has this to 1961. The abstracting service America: History and Life (1964- ) partially replaces Writings of American History.

 

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This page last reviewed by P. Hardesty on 1/9/2009.