Gr 7–10—Cold War's chronological format lends a narrative feel that will appeal to history buffs. The text is divided into sections by decade, from "1945–1949" to "1980–1989." Each section has a page-long introduction and a dozen or more half- to full-page entries on the major episodes of the era from the Potsdam Conference to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The sidebars' small font hinders readability, and the maps are small and not very detailed. Overall, this is a good quick reference source that will aid in reports. War on Terror looks more like a narrative text than a quick reference source. It is arranged into geographic sections, each with 6 to 9 entries on Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India and Pakistan, and Iraq and 12 entries for the United States. As with other volumes in this series, there are numerous photographs and about a dozen maps. The maps here are larger than those in Cold War, but there aren't any in the section on Southeast Asia. By trying to cover the entire global war in such a brief space, this volume falls short of the mark. Although general readers may find plenty of interesting information, researchers would be better served by Tom Lansford's The War in Iraq (Gale, 2009), which covers specific areas of the war.—Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM
