Doing Global History: An Introduction in 6 Concepts

Description

The field of Global History has experienced an unprecedented boom in the last two decades and carved itself deeply into the practice of historical research. Despite this, its conceptual foundations have rarely been explored. This introduction to what Global History is brings together theory and practice with 6 key concepts, delivered through 6 accessible case studies. Re-evaluating the central concerns and key approaches in the field, it offers an up-to-date discussion of the foundations of Global History, its guiding questions, and principal methods 'at work'. Doing Global History offers students valuable insights into the ways general concepts can be used and applied when doing historical research. The 6 concepts- connections, actors, structures, space, time and transit- and their accompanying examples will not only help readers to get a solid grasp of what global history means, but will stimulate further engagement in the field. Wenzlhuemer successfully shows that global history is best considered as a perspective, not a theory or paradigm, and guides the reader through ways it can be used in practice to draw new and exciting conclusions. Tailored for classroom and student use, this book will be invaluable to advanced undergraduates and postgraduates of Global History.

Roland Wenzlhuemer is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany. Having studied at University of Salzburg, Austria, he has been a visiting professor at University of Basel, Switzerland, University of Innsbruck, Austria, and held the Chair of Modern History at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. His research and teaching focuses on colonial and global history, with a particular interest in global connections and the theories and methods of global history.

Writing Global History is a brilliant introduction to one of the most exciting and dynamic fields of history. It is not only instructive but also highly entertaining, elegantly interweaving theoretical reflections on six key concepts - connections, actors, structures, space, time, transit - with insightful, rich, and beautifully narrated empirical case studies. It will be a crucial addition to every historian's bookshelf and I am convinced that it will make it onto the reading lists of the major global history courses in the Anglophone world. * David Motadel, Associate Professor of International History, Department of International History, LSE, UK *