Contemporary World History - Softcover

Duiker, William J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1285447905 ISBN 13: 9781285447902

Publisher: Cengage Learning, 2014

Synopsis

Duiker's comprehensive, balanced history of the world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries provides you with context for interpreting the events that you hear about in the news each day. You'll view history from the broader global perspective, while at the same time gaining insight into the distinct character of individual civilizations and regions. To ensure that you have a well-rounded understanding of the most decisive moments in recent times, Duiker integrates political, economic, social, and cultural history into a smoothly written narrative. Discussions are illuminated by timelines that highlight and contrast different cultures and nations-giving you an "at-a-glance" perspective on eras and their defining events; photos from the author's own collection for a closer, more personal look at the world we live in; and primary-source documents that offer an in-depth way to understand the past.

About this title

About the Author:

William J. Duiker is liberal arts Professor Emeritus of East Asian studies at The Pennsylvania State University and a former U.S. diplomat with service in Taiwan, South Vietnam and Washington, D.C. At Penn State, he served as director of International Programs in the College of Liberal Arts and as chairman of the East Asian Studies Committee. He has written extensively on the history of Vietnam and modern China, including the highly acclaimed COMMUNIST ROAD TO POWER IN VIETNAM (revised edition, Westview Press, 1996), which was selected for a Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award in 1982-1983 and 1996-1997. He is also the author of CHINA AND VIETNAM: THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT (Berkeley, 1987), U.S. CONTAINMENT POLICY AND THE CONFLICT IN INDOCHINA (Stanford, 1995), SACRED WAR: NATIONALISM AND REVOLUTION IN A DIVIDED VIETNAM (McGraw-Hill, 1995) and HO CHI MINH (Hyperion, 2000), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2001. While Dr. Duiker's research specialization is in the field of nationalism and Asian revolutions, his intellectual interests are considerably more diverse. He has traveled widely and has taught courses on the history of communism and non-Western civilizations at Penn State, where he was awarded a Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in 1996. The College of Liberal Arts honored him with an Emeritus Distinction Award in 2002. Dr. Duiker received his doctorate in Far Eastern history from Georgetown University.

Review:

"I don't think I've ever read a better discussion for explaining how Japan got to the place it was politically that led to the expansionism of the 1930s and World War II."

"This textbook is set apart from others by the excellent graphic presentation and the inclusion of such wonderful timelines, maps, and documents. The text is well-written, engaging, and its style is appropriate for most students. I commend the author for writing a text that is shorter than most twentieth century world history textbooks, which I think is fantastic so readers don't get overwhelmed by too much detail."

About this edition

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1285447905
• ISBN 13: 9781285447902
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 384