Twentieth Century Voices

From Gandhi to Osama bin Laden, from Mao to Churchill, and from Kipling to Salman Rushdie, Twentieth Century Voices: Selected Readings in World History offers a wide variety of primary sources for students of the Twentieth Century world. While all students will benefit from these readings, Michael G. Vann used his expertise in teacher training to specifically compile this collection to prepare students who intend to teach in California high school classrooms. Thus, the sources are organized with an eye to the California State Standards for 10th grade World History.

Furthermore, Vann, an active member of the World History Association and an officer in the California World History Association (a WHA regional affiliate), has framed these primary sources with current trends in the historiography of World History. Specifically, the collection rejects discounted Eurocentric narratives and gives voice to traditionally marginalized historical actors in the history of imperialism, communism, and the Cold War. Along with many classic documents from key historical moments, readers will find several sources that challenge conventional wisdom about this tumultuous century.

Michael G. Vann is an Associate Professor of World History at Sacramento State University, vice president of the California World History Association, and a past president of the French Colonial Historical Society. In addition to teaching World History for undergraduate and graduate students, he offers courses on imperialism, Southeast Asia, and genocide. Vann is active in teacher training for California high school teachers. His publications include The Colonial Good Life: A Commentary on André Joyeux’s Vision of French Indochina, a special issue of the World History Association Bulletin on France in World History, and over a dozen academic journal articles on French colonialism.