Women in World History: v. 1: Readings from Prehistory to 1500

The book arrived with more highlighting and marks than expected, but it did arrive quickly.

Sarah Shaver Hughes and Brady Hughes. Women in World History. 2 volumes. Volume 1 - Prehistory-1500; Volume 2 - 1500 to the Present. This two volume series provides a plethora of information, and source material, for anyone attempting to integrate women's history into a world history course. Each volume begins with an introductory essay that sets the tone for that particular volume. The introductory essay in volume each volume is entitled "Gendering World History, Globalizing World History." In the first volume the introductory essay defends the perspective it uses by discussing "The Value of Gender in Historical Analysis." In volume 2 among issues raised in the introduction are "Gender-Based Violence and Women's Human Rights." The text includes both primary and secondary sources, covers every major region of the globe (including southeast Asia), and unlike most volumes covers women of various of socio-economic levels. The topics range from female 'witches,' slave traders, the ideal (traditional) Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu woman, migrant women, nomadic women, to female genital mutilation. The text is easy to read and includes a brief glossary, footnotes, suggestions for further reading, and a few photographs. Essential reading for anyone interested in history and/or women's issues.