World History Through Case Studies - by David Eaton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This innovative textbook demystifies the subject of world history through a diverse range of case studies. Each chapter looks at an event, person, or place commonly included in comprehensive textbooks, from prehistory to the present and from across the globe - from the Kennewick Man to gladiators and modern-day soccer and globalization - and digs deeper, examining why historians disagree on the subject and why their debates remain relevant today.

By taking the approach of 'unwrapping the textbook, ' David Eaton reveals how historians think, making it clear that the past is not nearly as tidy as most textbooks suggest. Provocative questions like whether ancient Greece was shaped by contact with Egypt provide an entry point into how history professors may sharply disagree on even basic narratives, and how historical interpretations can be influenced by contemporary concerns. By illuminating these historiographical debates, and linking them to key skills required by historians, World History through Case Studies shows how the study of history is relevant to a new generation of students and teachers.

Review Quotes

"David Eaton's inventive approach offers students a way to see and take part in the detective work that goes into analyzing and understanding the past. His case studies of key historical issues about which there is contemporary debate range widely across time and space. They provide a fresh perspective on commonly-taught topics in ways that will intrigue students, such as exploring globalization through South Africa's hosting soccer's World Cup, and also allow them to explore issues that rarely make it into textbooks but should, such as the impact of the horse." --Merry E Wiesner-Hanks, President of the World History Association and Distinguished Professor Emerita of History, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA

"In this new approach to world history, David Eaton helps his readers acquire the skills of the historian, and demonstrates how these skills can be applied to the construction of reliable knowledge both in the discipline of history, and in life more generally." --Craig Benjamin, Associate Professor of History, Grand Valley State University, USA

"David Eaton's book is a game changer for teaching world history because it centers historiographical debates that are the beating, messy heart of our discipline. Breath-taking in thematic, temporal and geographical range, it also digs deep into well-chosen case studies with panache. The great French scholar Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie once divided historians into 'parachutists', searching out grand patterns for below them, and 'truffle hunters', their noses buried in the fine-grained details. With this book, budding historians and their teachers should trust Prof. Eaton to both pack their chutes and find them the tastiest morsels. A must read." --Gerard McCann, Lecturer in African and Global History, University of York, UK

About the Author

David Eaton is Associate Professor of World and African history at Grand Valley State University, USA. He received his PhD from Dalhousie University in 2008, and co-hosts On Top of the World: A World History Podcast. His doctoral research focused on the history of cattle raiding along the Kenya-Uganda border, and he has published articles in several journals including Nomadic Peoples, World History Connected, and African Affairs.