Subject: ANN: Call for Authors: ABC-CLIO, History of War/Diplomacy

[Macilrille]

Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 13:31:42 -0700



Call for Authors: ABC-CLIO, History of War/Diplomacy

ABC-CLIO, the leading publisher of academic reference works, is in the process of developing a comprehensive 21-volume Encyclopedia of World History. We are seeking interested scholars to prepare 500-1500 word articles on the History of War and Diplomacy.

Compensation: contributors will have their names associated with the entries they contribute and will receive access to the e-book version of the encyclopedia for personal use. Contributors assigned 3,000 words or more will also receive a credit of $300 towards purchase of ABC-CLIO, Greenwood Press, and Praeger books. In order to meet review standards, we do require that contributors hold a Ph.D, ABD, or have recognized expertise in the field.

Please see our web listing of all open topics (and the sub-topic War) at:
http://www.abc-clio.com/academic/aboutus/callToAuthors.aspx

If you are interested in writing 1 or more of the entries, please send a c.v. to:

Fred Nadis, Project Editor: [email]---
Jeanie Azizian, Project Coordinator: [email]J---

There is noe that I know very much on, but one for the origins of the Sassanid and one or two others on Parthians

[russia almighty]

If only TPC had a PhD......

[Macilrille]

Quote "or have recognized expertise in the field". Though it is not specified what recognised expertise is. If I was an ambitious guy with lots of knowledge on Parthia from designing EB I would apply, nothing to loose is there?

[The Persian Cataphract]

Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the enthusiasm to narrow down a potential essay on the highly problematic topic of the Sassanian origins into a thousand-word fare when there is so much more to write about now in the light of the freshly translated Greek recension of Agathangelos' "Romance of Artavan and Artasiras" to complement the Kârnâmag of Ardashîr. Besides this, there have been past articles written on the origins of the Sassanians, which makes the subject either too dead-beat or just a matter of revisal.

Parthian cavalry traditions in around 300 words? This is an almost impossible feat. Prof. Shahbazi summed up the entirety of the battle of Carrhaë with an essay exceeding thousands of words. Four centuries of chivalric refinement from nomadic tradition into Persianate horsemanship, and 300 words? For a minimalist like Duncan Head who has a reputation for conciseness, this could be a task for him. For me who likes to add quotations here and there, captions for epigraphic evidence, such additions alone would amount to significant percentages and leave less left for actual interpretation. Except, it's not just about Parthian equestrian culture, but also other nomadic traditions, including those of the Dahae, and "Sacaean" culture. You could literally write a book about it. An article spanning wide topics needs either a niche focus or to be very generic.

Then we have the topic for the New "Eastern" defensive architecture, which too could become a highly expanded matter. The problem here is different: What do they mean by "Eastern"? Spanning from Asia Minor to Central Asia? Parthian fortification works? Achaemenid fortresses? Sassanid castles? Old Babylonian square circumvallation? Greek influx into defensive architecture? This is a huge topic. It needs to be specialized. Maybe if it was about the circular plan alotted to the city of Hatra and its parallels to the Sassanian city of Gôr, then maybe something could be arranged.

Ironically, out of the three topics, the one with the Sassanian origins is the one which appears most narrowed down and realistically applicable to the given limitations. I would however recommend that this should be forwarded to Khodadad Rezakhani or Touraj Daryaee of the Sasanika group. They have the credentials required. For matters in Parthian material culture, Khorasani-Moshtagh, Kaveh Farrokh, G.R.F. Assar and Edward C. Hopkins are the individuals to be consulted. Journals such as "Iran and the Caucasus" (BRILL), contain high grade scholarship from various Armenian and Georgian institutions, not to mention the institutions in Göttingen, Uppsala and SOAS having plenty of graduate students who would frolic at the thought of being published. I think Mrs. Azizian should consider these options.

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This was written with 438 words.