There is no doubt that local and regional history, considered by many as a kind of minor historical study, has a pressing need for a systematic inventory of its resources. This collection shows the durability, the vividness, and the astonishing productivity of a sector of history which is the stronghold of the history-lover rather than the professional historian.

The nature and content of each book determines its selection. For each book included, the compilers have weighed its contribution to local history and regional history rather than the style in which it is...