Military History

Scholarly Research

This is a brief guide to studying the World Wars in the 20th century through scholarship and in primary sources at Boston College.

Studying Military History and Genocide

Military history has long become not only the study of battles and troop movements but also the study of preparation, society, gender, and more. This first page provides access points to reference material and scholarship in the form of book catalogs and journal database recommendations. The subpages provide access points for recommended primary source (i.e., letters, government reports, photographs) collections.

What's on This Page

Reference Shelf

Oxford Reference Online
This is a quick go-to for high-quality, short, dictionary style descriptions, definitions, facts, and figures. Great for date and name checking.

Reference Shelf: Biographies

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Scholarly biographical articles with short bibliographies on deceased notable Americans.

Reference Shelf: Dictionaries

Historical Dictionary of World War II Intelligence by Nigel West
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks D810 .S7 W385 2008
Publication Date: 2007
In the years immediately following World War II, information was disclosed about what has been termed the shadow war of the existence of hitherto secret agencies.

Reference Shelf: Companions and Handbooks

Cambridge Histories - British & European History
This collection features multiple titles that feature as handbooks on topics such as European economic history, histories of violence and slavery, capitalism and communism as well as specific periods including the World Wars. They also include geographic/state focuses such as Ireland, Scandinavia, and Turkey, among others.

The Oxford Companion to World War II by I. C. Dear; M. R. Foot (eds.)
Call Number: Oxford Reference
ISBN: 9780198662259
Publication Date: 2001
Its 1,750 alphabetically-arranged entries vary from brief definitions and one-linesignposts to major pieces of description and analysis of several thousand words.
The Oxford handbook of European history, 1914-1945
Call Number: Oxford Handbooks Online
Publication Date: 2014-2016
The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War by Hew Strachan
Call Number: EBSCOHost
Publication Date: 2014
The Oxford History of the First World War brings together in one volume many of the most distinguished historians of the conflict, in an account that matches the scale of the events.
U. S. Diplomacy from World War I Through World War II by Martin H. Folly; Niall A. Palmer
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks E784 .F65 2010
Publication Date: 2010
The period from the outset of World War I to the end of World War II was among the most significant in the history of the United States. Twice it was drawn into "foreign entanglements"--wars it initially thought were no concern of its own and of which it tried to steer clear--only to realize that it could not stand aside. With each one, it geared up in record time, entered the fray massively, and was crucial to the outcome.
Global War by Jay Winter (ed.)
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks D521 .C36 2014 LOCATE
ISBN: 9780521763851
Publication Date: 2014
Provides a comprehensive account of the war's military history. An international team of leading historians charts how a war made possible by globalization and imperial expansion unfolded into catastrophe, growing year by year in scale and destructive power far beyond that which anyone had anticipated in 1914.

Reference Shelf: Encyclopedia

1914-1918 Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War
An English-language virtual reference work on the First World War. Includes articles, time lines, and some curated primary sources.

Books: Find & Request from BC & Beyond

Your local libraries have excellent monographs and anthologies located in O'Neill library as well as through the BC libraries portal. Try searching for books (only books) through the WorldCat library system to see if we have what you need. If we don't, you can order material through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

WorldCat Catalog

Journal & eBook Databases

For a selection of excellent journals and some e-books on various topics in global history, we recommend a few databases. Remember to explore these database "advanced search" options for date and other modifiers before you run your searches.

JSTOR
JSTOR is a collection of scholarly journals and ebooks across multiple disciplines. Content includes back issues and some current issues.
Project MUSE
Full-text access to a large number of scholarly journals and eBooks in the humanities and social sciences published by over 120 of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies.
Historical Abstracts
Index of journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, and dissertations pertaining to the study of World History (Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America), from 1450 to the present. Coverage is 1955-present. Some full text coverage.

Additional Recommendations

Cambridge Core This link opens in a new window
Cambridge Core is the place to find valuable, useful and inspirational research and academic information. Includes journals and books across the humanities and sciences. Of particular note are the Cambridge Histories, the Cambridge Companions, and the Cambridge Handbooks.
De Gruyter This link opens in a new window
Based out of Berlin, De Gruyter has been publishing academic books and journals for more than 250 years. Their fields of focus include humanities (e.g., history, classics, ancient near east, philosophy, religion, and more), social sciences, medicine, mathematics, engineering, computer sciences, natural sciences, and law. This interface provides affiliates with access to Boston College's subscriptions to De Gruyter's journals as well as ebook and some open access material.
Oxford Academic This link opens in a new window
Oxford University Publisher's access point for their reference, journals, and books. Material covers arts and humanities (including history and theology); law; medicine and health; science and math; as well as the social sciences.
Taylor & Francis This link opens in a new window
Access to our T&F journals and other e-content. Includes more than 200 history journals with full or partial access. Keep in mind that BC affiliates can order articles we don't have through ILL.

Recommended Journals

British Journal of Military History
Journal of military history
Publication Date: 1937+
Military History
Call Number: 1999+
军事历史/#/軍事歷史 [[jun shi li shi]]
Call Number: 1994-2018
Revue internationale d'histoire militaire
Call Number: Stacks - No Loan
Cold War history
Publication Date: 1955+

History Liaison

Erin Kate Scheopner

she/her/hers

Email Me

Contact:

O'Neill 314

617-552-3457

Subjects: African & African Diaspora Studies, History, Irish Studies, Latin American Studies

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Military History

Scholarly Research

Studying Military History and Genocide

What's on This Page

Reference Shelf

Reference Shelf: Biographies

Reference Shelf: Dictionaries

Reference Shelf: Companions and Handbooks

Reference Shelf: Encyclopedia

Books: Find & Request from BC & Beyond

Journal & eBook Databases

Additional Recommendations

Recommended Journals

History Liaison