The American Historical Association's Committee on Women Historians commissioned some of the pioneering figures in women's history to prepare essays in their respective areas of expertise. This volume collects their efforts. The first in a major three-volume set, Women's History in Global Perspective, Volume 1 addresses the comparative themes that the editors and contributors see as central to understanding women's history around the world. Later volumes will be concerned with issues that have shaped the history of women in particular regions. The authors of these essays, including Margaret Strobel, Alice Kessler-Harris, and Mrinalini Sinha, provide general overviews of the theory and practice of women's and gender history and analyze family history, nationalism, and work. The collection is rounded out by essays on religion, race, ethnicity, and the different varieties of feminism.