This volume investigates the evolution and current state of environmental history as a discipline that bridges the divide between the humanities and the natural sciences. Editor Andrew C. Isenberg compiles contributions from leading scholars to examine how environmental factors transcend national borders and traditional historical models. The text provides a framework for analyzing history through the lens of ecological impact, climate change, and the interconnectedness of human and natural systems. By organizing the field into thematic categories, the handbook establishes a methodology for studying global phenomena that defy conventional state-centric historical narratives.

Experts recognize this volume as a foundational reference text for students and researchers entering the field of environmental history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the comprehensive nature of the thematic coverage provided by the contributors.