Covering a span from the Asiatic Vespers in 88 BCE through 2012's Houla Massacre in Syria, editor Alexander Mikaberidze, the Hubert D. Humphreys Professor of History at Louisiana State University, brings together more than 200 contributing scholars in Atrocities, Massacres, and War Crimes: An Encyclopedia to describe some of the most horrifying events in human history. Mikaberidze's Introduction is several pages in length, and gives an overview of the difficult events and subjects covered, as well as a hope that this work “will play some role in informing new generations of the pitfalls of the past so we can be more caring and appreciative of the fact that every person is a being of infinite worth”.
In addition to the more than 400 entries in two volumes, there are several other sections. The chronology is expansive, covering 689 BCE to 2012, and contains additional events beyond the encyclopedia entries. The events in the chronology are not linked to the encyclopedia entries, however. A glossary defines legal terminology and other subject specific terms used, but would be more useful if the terms in the entries were linked back to their definitions here. A general bibliography includes feature films and documentaries about some of the topics, as well as URLs for organizations like Human Rights Watch. The list of contributors follows; while long, including short biographical statements for each scholar would be beneficial. Finally, the categorical and subject indexes provide additional entry points, though the categorical index is occasionally confusing; one prominent subheading under the category Ideas and Movements is Rape.
At the time of this review, there are two small challenges to using either of the indexes for access on the ABC-Clio e-book platform. First, the two-column pagination has resulted in running columns; entries that should follow the bottom-left entry at the top of the right column on the same page are instead appearing on the following page, at the top of the left column. Similarly, index entries appear to be incorrectly linked. For example, the link to the main entry for Assad, Hafez Al- (1930-2000) is linked to the footer of the alphabetically previous entry for Asiatic Vespers.
Over the encyclopedia as a whole, entries for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries predominate. Most discuss single events or single conflicts, though entries for individuals, groups, geographical places, and overviews of activities that cut across geopolitical boundaries (such as the entries for Torture, Alcohol and Atrocities, and the aforementioned Rape) are also present. At the end of each entry, there are see also linked references to other entries in the Encyclopedia, followed by a Further Reading section with citations for related works. Additionally, some entries have black and white or color images.
As is to be expected, the approach to content varies across contributors. As one example, the Plunder and Spoliation entry heavily emphasizes legal documents and legal vocabulary, whereas the Human Shields entry takes a different approach, though both discuss several Articles of the Geneva Convention. Overall, entries are predominantly written in accessible and straightforward language. There are, though, a few surprising content omissions: an entry for Chemical Weapons and Warfare ends at the close of World War II, and there is no entry for the Sri Lankan conflicts (though there is an entry in the chronology).
Mikaberidze's Atrocities, Massacres, and War Crimes: An Encyclopedia collects a wide variety of events, people, and activities over a significant span of time into one resource. The subject coverage is wide and subjects are thoughtfully approached from varying perspectives. The encyclopedia is suitable for high school and undergraduate libraries, as well as for a general readership.
