In recent years, historians across the world have become increasingly interested in transnational and global approaches to the past. However, the debates surrounding this new border-crossing movement have remained limited in scope as theoretical exchanges on the tasks, responsibilities and potentials of global history have been largely confined to national or regional academic communities. In this groundbreaking book, Dominic Sachsenmaier sets out to redress this imbalance by offering a series of new perspectives on the global and local flows, sociologies of knowledge and hierarchies that are an intrinsic part of historical practice. Taking the United States, Germany and China as his main case studies, he reflects upon the character of different approaches to global history as well as their social, political and cultural contexts. He argues that this new global trend in historiography needs to be supported by a corresponding increase in transnational dialogue, cooperation and exchange.

‘The globalizing of historical study has not resulted in uniform ways of looking at the past … Sachsenmaier shows how local perspectives have remained even in the age of global scholarship … This book makes fascinating reading and offers an intellectually rewarding experience.’

Akira Iriye - Harvard University

‘For the first time ever, recent and actual debates on global history are situated within broader intellectual settings. Dominic Sachsenmaier provides a unique mapping and comparison of academic cultures on three continents. This groundbreaking book will open a new chapter in the reflection on global and world history.’

Juergen Osterhammel - Universität Konstanz

‘A welcome introduction to global history, made globally. Sachsenmaier's deep familiarity with US, German and Chinese approaches to world making - and the transnational currents that connect them - highlights the possibilities and power of border crossing historiography.’

Marnie Hughes-Warrington - Monash University

‘This is a timely and much needed study of how global histories from different parts of the world engage or do not engage with each other. Sachsenmaier's important insight lies in the recognition that such a situation does not call for yet another universal vision, but rather a forum to register the interactions and contestations of the truth and value claims of these global perspectives before moving to the next level.’

Prasenjit Duara - National University of Singapore

'In addition to perspectives on Germany and the United States, the author offers concise insights into Chinese historiography during the past few centuries.'

Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

'… a valuable contribution to current discussions of history as a way of knowing and an intellectual discipline.'

Source: American Historical Review