History Essentials

Question: What kind of present would you get for a history major?
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In my opinion there are five essentials for the study of history at a higher (or any?) level. These are listed below. Of course some of these resources can now be found online, but books make for a special (and portable) gift that implies some thought on the part of the giver. And not all internet sources are reliable!


1. A good dictionary. Students will come across many unfamiliar words and terms, especially in the more specialized areas of historical study. Dictionaries vary considerably in coverage and price, but the edition below is a good compromise and includes 12 months' access to Oxford's premium online dictionary and thesaurus service, ‘Oxford Dictionaries Online’, updated regularly with the latest developments to words and meanings.

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary

2. Comparative chronological tables. Too often historical subjects are so tightly focused that students are left unaware of the full contemporary picture. Chronological tables allow students to relate their subject to other world events and to a wider timeframe, and provide an opportunity to discover or consider causal linkages that may be beyond the scope of the syllabus. My well-thumbed standby is the Hutchinson series, which is categorized usefully into broad historical epochs.


The Hutchinson Chronology of World History
1. Prehistory-1491 AD: The Ancient & Medieval World
2. 1492-1775: The Expanding World
3. 1776-1900: The Changing World
4. 1901-Present Day: The Modern World


3. A good encyclopedia. Always a useful quick reference work and a more detailed complement to a dictionary. And a print title may often be more reliable than some well known internet resources! Again, my well used standby is from Hutchinson. The 2005 edition should soon be available from Amazon. Click on the title to be informed when the title is in stock.

The Hutchinson Encyclopedia 2005

4. A current world Geographical Atlas. Geography is one of the key determinants of history. Climate, topography, geology, political and economic factors are frequently at the core of historical causation. Times Books is a well known publisher of good quality Atlases. Two differently priced options are given here.

The Times Universal Atlas of the World
The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World


5. A recent Historical Atlas of the region(s) being studied. Useful source for the distribution and movements of peoples and for changes in political boundaries over time. An Historical Atlas will help avoid confusion of geographical with political entities – as, for example, Greece, Germany and Italy, which had long been recognised as geographical definitions, did not achieve political unity and statehood until the 19th Century. My own ‘Times Atlas of European History’ has very useful marginal notes covering the major events that led to changes to the European map. Unfortunately this seems to be out of stock on Amazon, but follow the link for used copies from Amazon-approved sellers.

The Times Atlas of European History

There is also a huge range of history titles on the main History Unlimited web site.