Cornelis A. van Minnen, and Sylvia L. Hilton, eds., Teaching and Studying U.S. History in Europe: Past, Present and Future . Amsterdam: VU University Press, European Contributions to American Studies, 66, 2007. ISBN: 90-8659-049-7. www.vu-uitgeverij.nl
This volume approaches the history of international cultural relations between Europe and the United States through an intensive analysis of the ways in which U.S. History has been studied in the universities of thirteen European countries. Combining historical overviews with analytical reports on the current situation and future prospects, the essays offer insights into the connections between government policies (on both sides of the Atlantic), popular interest, student demand, and individual scholars' professional goals and strategies. At the same time, the authors aim to contribute towards a better understanding of the complex ways in which European historians of the United States have navigated the different (often conflicting) demands, constraints and opportunities, arising from their official job descriptions and institutional affiliations, within widely varying academic paradigms and systems of higher education. The volume thus provides not only a much-needed state-of-the-art report on European academic interest in U.S. history, but uses the subject as a case study for the interconnections between several different spheres of public and private interests, such as the development of cultural diplomacy, and the ways in which international relations affect educational policies, academic specialization and strategies of professional advancement.
CONTENTS
The Academic Study of U.S. History in Europe: Introduction. Sylvia L. Hilton and Cornelis A. van Minnen.
Laying the Foundations: U.S. Public Diplomacy and the Promotion of American Studies in Europe. Giles Scott-Smith.
COUNTRY REPORTS
The Study of U.S. History in Austria. Siegfried Beer.
The Study of U.S. History in Denmark. Jørn Brøndal.
The Study of U.S. History in France. Serge Ricard and Claire Delahaye.
The Study of U.S. History in Germany. Philipp Gassert.
The Study of U.S. History in Great Britain. Michael J. Heale.
The Study of U.S. History in Ireland. Steve J.S. Ickringill.
The Study of U.S. History in Italy. Ferdinando Fasce.
The Study of U.S. History in The Netherlands. Doeko Bosscher.
The Study of U.S. History in Norway. Ole O. Moen.
The Study of U.S. History in Poland. Irmina Wawrzyczek.
The Study of U.S. History in Russia. Yuri N. Rogoulev.
The Study of U.S. History in Spain. Sylvia L. Hilton.
The Study of U.S. History in Sweden. Martin Alm.
Notes on Contributors.
Acknowledgments.