What is Environmental History?

J. DONALD HUGHES is John Evans Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Denver, Colorado.

• 1. Defining Environmental HistoryIntroductionThe Themes of Environmental HistoryAmong the Scholarly DisciplinesEnvironmental History and the Older History2. Forerunners of Environmental HistoryIntroductionThe Ancient WorldMedieval and Early Modern Environmental ThoughtThe Early Twentieth Century3. The Emergence of Environmental History in the United StatesIntroductionAmerican History from Conservation to EnvironmentStrands of Environmental History in the United StatesCollaborators with Environmental History4. Local, Regional, and National Environmental HistoriesIntroductionCanadaEuropeThe MediterraneanThe Middle East and North AfricaIndia, South and Southeast AsiaEast AsiaAustralia, New Zealand, and the Pacific IslandsAfricaLatin AmericaThe Ancient World and the Middle AgesConclusion5. Global Environmental HistoryIntroductionBooks on World Environmental HistoryTopics of Global ImportanceEnvironmental MovementsWorld History TextsConclusion6. Issues and Directions in Environmental HistoryIntroductionProfessionalismAdvocacyEnvironmental DeterminismPresentismDeclensionist NarrativesPolitical-Economic TheoryThe Next IssuesConclusion7. Thoughts on Doing Environmental HistoryIntroductionGuidance on MethodologyThe Search for SourcesResourcesConclusion: The Future of Environmental HistoryNotesSelect BibliographyIndex

"Anyone seeking help in navigating the shifting shoals of environmental history will give fulsome thanks to Don Hughes for this book. It is far and away the best guide yet to the issues and historiography of this emerging field, spanning the globe and delving into the deep as well as recent past."—J. R. McNeill, Georgetown University"What is Environmental History? is a masterfully condensed overview of one of the most urgent and rapidly developing fields of history. Written by a scholar of classical antiquity, it gracefully covers ancient, medieval, and modern periods – with a global vision. A state-of-the-art report for any scholar, and a perfect introduction for the student."—Sverker Sörlin, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm