“Beginning with definitions of the differences between genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, this lengthy set in the Defining Documents in World History series lays out the grim history of genocide from 1428 BCE to the present. Volume 1 includes an essay on what genocide is, Ancient Genocides (the destruction of Carthage), Religious Genocides (the Ba’ath assaults on the Kurds), and Political Genocide (the Khmer Rouge). Volume 2 comprises Ethnic Cleansing (the Armenian genocide), the Nazi Holocaust, the Americas (Native American removals), and the Aftermath of Genocide (the Nuremberg Trials). Five- to twenty-page entries are centered on a historical document, supported by a summary overview, historical context, information about the author, and a document analysis. Entries also include a bibliography and additional readings. The writing is complex and considered, and the use of primary and secondary source documents is exemplary. The volume concludes with a chronological list of all documents by year, a list of web resources, a bibliography, and an accurate index. This in-depth analysis of 63 documents, from legislative acts to personal testimonies, provides a necessary entry point to understanding a difficult topic.” - Booklist