World History through Case Studies

This collection of case studies from around the world helps students of world history to uncover the key historiographical debates that lie beneath the surface of traditional textbooks.

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 from prehistory to the present and from across the globe – from the Kennewick Man to germ warfare, Japanese industrialization and modern-day soccer – and digs deeper, examining why historians disagree on the subject and why their debates remain relevant today. Through these case studies David Eaton ‘unwraps the textbook’, introducing key skills and debates and showing that past is not nearly as tidy as most textbooks suggest.

This fully revised second edition includes updated historiography throughout plus:
- New discussion questions and chapter learning objectives
- Additional primary source texts, images and maps
- Four new chapters on Gender and the Mongols, the Swahili Coast c.1100-1300, the Itaipu Dam and indigenous rights, and Ebola outbreaks in modern West Africa
- A new companion website and online resources

Posing provocative questions and demonstrating how historical interpretations can be influenced by contemporary concerns, World History through Case Studies shows how the study of history is relevant to a new generation of students and teachers.