Architects of World History (eBook)

Kenneth R. Curtis is Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach. His most recent publication, co-authored with Valerie Hansen, is the second edition of Voyages in World History (2013). The late Jerry H Bentley was Professor of History at the University of Hawaii and editor of the Journal of World History. He wrote written extensively on the cultural history of early modern Europe and on cross-cultural interactions in world history.

Notes on Contributors vii

1 Architects of World History 1
Kenneth R. Curtis

2 En Route to World Environmental History 30
J.R. McNeill

3 Gender Intersections 56
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks

4 No Great Divergence? Reaching World History Through East Asian Studies 81
Kenneth Pomeranz

5 Cultural and Religious Exchanges 108
Dominic Sachsenmaier

6 Law and World History 134
Lauren Benton

7 Africa in the World: From National Histories to Global Connections 159
Kerry Ward

8 Big History 190
David Christian

9 In Search of a Global Cultural History 215
Jerry H. Bentley and Karen Louise Jolly, foreword by Alan Karras

Index 238

"This collection clearly frames the methodological and
historiographical trajectories that give coherence to world history
as a field. The contributions from a wide range of scholars
humanize broad patterns of inquiry and provide a fresh, original
approach. Architects is essential reading for scholars and teachers
at all levels who want to grasp the history and scope of a dynamic
field."

--Laura J. Mitchell, University of California,
Irvine
"The authors of these thoughtful and engaging autobiographical
essays show us that, like most historical change, world history as
a modern intellectual and scholastic endeavor emerged not because a
group of innovators had a good plan but through an inchoate process
of accident, contingency, and personal encounter. This is a
fascinating story of how nine distinguished historians,
dissatisfied with the severe limits of nation-state history, found
their way, often serendipitously, to one another and to larger
networks of like-minded professionals. In the process they helped
establish world history as a fertile field of research and
teaching."

--Ross Dunn, San Diego State University

"This is a stimulating collection, at once presenting leading
voices in the field and some of the key topical approaches within
world history. The goal of attracting and guiding students toward a
greater sense of how world history is done is particularly
attractive."

--Peter Stearns, George Mason University

"Each of the authors is a genuine architect and visionary in the
field of world history. Collectively they provide a rich
introduction to current approaches to teaching and research, while
at the same time unfolding their own personal and often remarkable
intellectual journeys that brought them to the forefront of world
history."

--Craig Benjamin, President of the World History
Association (2014 / 15)