The Middle Ground Journal: World History and Global Studies

10/05/2024

Here's the TOC for Issue 27 (Spring 2024)

Articles
Special Issue Articles on “Crisis and Recovery,” the theme for the Midwest World History Association’s 2021 conference.

Holley-Griffith, Bethany. “Funding Democracy: Examining the Role of Research in Universities During the Cold War.” The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 13-22. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/04/12/funding-democracy-examining-the-role-of-research-in-universities-during-the-cold-war/.

Majumder, Nabanipa. “Reevaluating the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the Cold War Asia.” The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 23-35. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/04/19/the-first-and-second-taiwan-strait-crises-in-cold-war-asia-an-overview/.

Rahman, Gazi. “Modern World History and Colonial Records: Some Challenges in Reconstructing the Historical Migration.” The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 36-56. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/04/26/south-asian-migration-and-colonial-records-some-challenges-in-reconstructing-the-bengali-historical-migration/.

Book Reviews
Goldstein-Sabbah, Sasha. Review of Years of Glory: Nelly Benatar and the Pursuit of Justice in Wartime North Africa by Susan Gilson Miller. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 1-2. https://middlegroundjournal.com/review-of-years-of-glory-by-susan-gilson-miller.

Heidbrink, Ingo. Review of Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad edited by Timothy D. Walker. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 3-4. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/02/09/review-of-sailing-to-freedom-edited-by-timothy-d-walker/.

Patton, Cody R. Review of Food in World History by Jeffrey M. Pilcher. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 5-6. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/03/01/review-of-food-in-world-history-by-jeffrey-m-pilcher/.

Richardson, Kim. Review of Hungary Between Two Empires: 1526-1711 by Geza Palffy. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 7-8. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/03/15/review-of-hungary-between-two-empires-1526-1711-by-geza-palffy/.

Brose, Michael C. Review of An Object of Seduction: Chinese Silk in the Early Modern Transpacific Trade, 1500-1700 by Xiaolin Duan. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 9-10. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/03/22/review-of-an-object-of-seduction-by-xiaolin-duan/.

Younger, W. Cole. Review of Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells by Owen Davies. The Middle Ground Journal, no. 27 (Spring 2024): 11-12. https://middlegroundjournal.com/2024/04/05/review-of-art-of-the-grimoire-by-owen-davies/.

10/05/2024

sargentopiumarticlesspring2014themiddlegroundjournal.org_Download "The Big Loaf and the First Opium War: Free Trade and Domestic Politics in the British Empire, 1813-1846" by Colin Sargent, Graduate Student, Northeastern University, Boston, MA © 2014 The Middle Ground Journal (ISSN: 2155-1103) Number 8, Spring 2014 See Submission Guidelines page for the journal's not-for-profit educational open-access policy.

sargentopiumarticlesspring2014themiddlegroundjournal.org_Download “The Big Loaf and the First Opium War: Free Trade and Domestic Politics in the British Empire, 1813-1846” by Colin Sarg…

10/05/2024

“Historians depend on authorities’ categorizations and frames of reference, but they must not accept these without thoroughly examining and questioning them. Without critically reading govern…

26/04/2024

"Historians depend on authorities’ categorizations and frames of reference, but they must not accept these without thoroughly examining and questioning them. Without critically reading government census reports, using these statistics is problematic in writing migration history."

“Historians depend on authorities’ categorizations and frames of reference, but they must not accept these without thoroughly examining and questioning them. Without critically reading govern…

26/04/2024

"the US government made presumptuous miscalculations, believing that they could transform Taiwan into a strong base to counteract communism....examining the protracted conflict in the Taiwan Strait during the 1950s to the 1960s, this paper analyzes the potential for the conflict in the region to escalate to a nuclear level."...

“the US government made presumptuous miscalculations, believing that they could transform Taiwan into a strong base to counteract communism….examining the protracted conflict in the Tai…

12/04/2024

The first of three articles for our special issue on "Crisis and Recovery," which was the theme for the Midwest World History Association’s 2021 conference.

“Research universities have been essential in preserving power for the US throughout the Cold War.”

05/04/2024

Art of the Grimoire is "itself a wondrous grimoire."

“Anyone looking for a work that is bound to spark discussion in the classroom need look no further than Art of the Grimoire.”

22/03/2024

"illustrates important connections between China and New Spain that were formed as a result of the trans-Pacific trade but that have eluded most studies...There really is no comparable monograph that examines the trans-Pacific silk trade"...

“illustrates important connections between China and New Spain that were formed as a result of the trans-Pacific trade but that have eluded most studies…There really is no comparable mo…

15/03/2024

A new look at the history of Hungary!

“[T]here is something refreshing about looking at this period and local of history anew. Hungary is put back in its proper place and time.”

01/03/2024

This sounds like must-have book for all world historians!

“Food in World History will appeal to new students and well-seasoned scholars of food history alike.”

09/02/2024

Ingo Heidbrink reviews Walker's book on US slaves who sailed to freedom.

“Timothy Walker and his co-authors need to be lauded for bringing the maritime dimension of the underground railroad to the attention the topic deserves as sailing to freedom was an important…

02/02/2024

Our spring issue kicks off with Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah writing a review of Years of Glory: Nelly Benatar and the Pursuit of Justice in Wartime North Africa by Susan Gilson Miller

“several under-researched areas of modern North African history are brought to the forefront, most notably, North Africa as an escape route for European Jewry during World War II.”

08/12/2023

"World historians regularly tread ground that is fraught with contro­versy" and Peter Burkholder's article discusses the results of a survey that may help them with just that.

From colonialism to climate change, from gender to genocide, from revolutions to racism, world historians regularly tread ground that is fraught with contro¬versy. In this moment, adroitly navigati…

14/11/2023

I just took action to increase funding for Title VI and Fulbright-Hays! Join me and take action here.

10/11/2023

Yang Yunfei reviews the book, Technology and the Historian...

“This book merits attention from students, researchers, and practitioners of the historical profession, as it serves as a salient reminder that technology has long pervaded, transformed, and …

20/10/2023

Sam Bell's review praises a book about gender and colonialism.

“Indian Sex Life is a welcome addition and great starting point for any academically minded or historically curious reader to absorb just how critical sexual control was for colonial India an…

13/10/2023

Dr. Brian de Ruiter reviews a book that challenges us to rethink ruins.

“Broken Cities invites readers to look beyond archaeology as a method to understand ruins by providing an interrogation into how these ‘cultural objects’ have been used and articu…

06/10/2023

Dr. Florence E. Babb has reviewed LGBTQ Politics in Nicaragua

“this rich and insightful account of the past half century of LGBTQ mobilization…a treasure trove of new material to be appreciated for the more complete picture it offers of LGBTQ hist…

22/09/2023

Dr. Stephen Jackson lets us know about a book on teaching difficult history.

“The edited volume Teaching Difficult Histories in Difficult Times: Stories of Practice by Lauren McArthur Harris, Maia Sheppard, and Sara A. Levy is an extraordinary contribution to our unde…

15/09/2023

The Fall 2023 issue continues with another review from Dr. Joseph M. Snyder.

“In Constantinople: Ritual, Violence, and Memory in the Making of a Christian Imperial Capital, Rebecca Stephens Falcasantos examines the confluence of conflict, communal ritual, and memory a…

07/09/2023

We kick off the Fall 2023 issue with a penetrating review of the book, Going the Distance!

“Ron Harris, a professor of legal history, has undertaken the task of explaining how, why, and where the business corporation became a viable entity.”

07/06/2023

Position (unpaid): Chief Editor for The Middle Ground Journal: World History and Global Studies

The Middle Ground, https://themiddlegroundjournal.com, the journal of the Midwest World History Association, is an online peer-reviewed journal that currently publishes two issues per year (fall and spring). The chief editor is responsible for maintaining the journal's website, finalizing pieces (mainly articles and book reviews) for publication, communicating with authors, book reviewers, and other contributors, communicating with publishers, organizing and coordinating the efforts of the editorial staff (and interns, if any), and promoting the journal. The position is anticipated to begin Fall 2024 with AY 2023-2024 as a transition period with the current chief editor and the incoming chief editor serving as co-chief editors.

Recommendations and preferences for the new chief editor:

- Ph.D. in History or in a field closely related to the journal's purpose
- attention to detail in editing and copy-editing
- close familiarity with CMS and other citation systems
- institutional support (e.g., course release(s); money for interns would be most welcome, too)
- ability to learn basics of Wordpress
- ability to use a separate (provided) email address to communicate
- willingness to promote the journal on social media and at conferences
- willingness to be a member of the MWWHA and a member of MWWHA Executive Committee ex-officio

If interested, please submit an email stating your interest with your curriculum vitae attached to Dr. Jeanne Grant, [email protected], no later than August 1, 2023.