There is a lot to like about Scarecrow's various Historical Dictionaries series. The books are written by experts in the area or country that is covered. All contain well-written brief histories of the country and chronologies that, though they cover historical time periods, heavily feature more recent events. Brief A-Z entries cover the main people, politics, social issues, foreign affairs, institutions, and policies that make the country unique. Extensive bibliographies are divided into several general subject areas. -Booklist The Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East series is the most covers some two-thirds of humanity. Volumes deal with a range of nations: everything from the fairly small states widely dispersed through the Pacific to others focusing on giants like India, China, and Indonesia. Each historical dictionary includes a map, list of acronyms, chronology, bibliography and the core "dictionary," with hundreds of cross-referenced entries on persons, places, events, institutions and related political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

As with the other series, these books are written by well-known country specialists and are periodically updated to keep abreast of the times. Readers interested in Asia will probably also want to consult some other volumes in other series, for example, those dealing with Asian religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shinto, Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism), or Asian cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Guangdong), or warfare (World War II, Persian Gulf War, Afghan Wars, Korean War, Vietnam War), or peoples and ethnic groups (Kurds), or historical eras (Mongol World Empire, Ottoman Empire). Series Editor: Jon Woronoff.