This is a very handy, roughly 120 page, overview:
Pandemics : a very short introduction, by Christian W. McMillen. NY: Oxford University Press, 2016.
HOLLIS Record
There are many helpful specialized scholarly encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks in Widener and other libraries that can give you an overview of a specific topic or elucidate names and events encountered in reading.
CQ Researcher (1923- ) offers reports on subjects of current (1923- ) interest prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Encyclopedia of global health, ed. by Yawei Zhang. Thousand Oaks, Calif. ; London : SAGE, 2008.
Online resource
Cambridge historical dictionary of disease (Harvard Login), ed. by Kenneth F. Kiple. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2003, 412 p.
Cambridge world history of human disease (Harvard Login) ed. by Kenneth F. Kiple et al. Cambridge ; NY: Cambridge University Press, 1993, 1176 p.
Oxford handbook of the history of medicine (Harvard Login), ed. by Mark Jackson. Oxford ; New York ; Oxford University Press, 2011, 672 p.
Companion encyclopedia of the history of medicine, ed. by W.F. Bynum and Roy Porter. London; NY: Routledge, 1993. 2 v.
HOLLIS record
--A useful collection of essays.
Medical research: a midcentury survey. Boston, Published for the American Foundation by Little, Brown, 1955, 2 v.
HOLLIS Record
--A valuable overview of medical research circa 1940-1955. The first volume covers i9nsitutional and policy aspects, the second summarizes the state of research on cancer, infertility, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, rheumatic syndromes, tuberculosis, viruses, alcoholism, and schizophrenia.
The Oxford companion to medicine, ed. by John Walton et al. Oxford; NY: Oxford University Press, 1986, 2 v.
HOLLIS Record
Online version (3rd ed. 2001)
--Articles on more clinical aspects of medicine.
The Oxford Companion to the body, ed. by Colin Blakemore and Sheila Jennett et al. Oxford; NY: Oxford University Press, 2001, 753 p.
HOLLIS record
Statistical, Political, Directory and other Country Information
A variety of serial publications offer overviews of political and social conditions (politics, economics, organizations, press, etc.) and current events for countries worldwide. Each will have a chapter giving information on Japan for the current year.
Yearbooks
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) offers Country Reports and Country Profiles with online political and economic information going back to around 1996. Country Reports Archive, 1952-1995.
Europa world year book [before 1989 titled Europa year book], 1959- . London: Europa Publications
Current Online Version
HOLLIS Record 1989-
HOLLIS Record 1959-1988
--Includes list of major newspapers.
--Since 1963 has a Recent History section for each country summarizing events for the last few years.
--There are Europa yearbooks on particular parts of the world. Find them by searching in HOLLIS: Europa Publications Limited.
International year book and statesmen’s who’s who, 1953-
HOLLIS Record
New international year book. NY: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1898-1907.
Statesman’s year-book, 1864- . London: Palgrave.
Online Version (1864- )
Google Books
HOLLIS Record
Strategic survey, 1966- . London : The Institute for Strategic Studies.
HOLLIS Record (Print)
Online Version
--Annual. Worldwide review of international relations.
Whitaker's almanack. [before 1992 titled Almanack for the year of our Lord…) London: J. Whitaker, 1869- .
Widener | Harvard Depository | Br 3700.101 (2002-2011)
Widener Br 3700.101 (1869-1992)
Widener | RR 4262.2 Latest
Google Books
Guides:
Individual Country Reports (American University) lists yearbooks of individual countries with links to online versions. Where no online version (or no older editions) exist, look up title in HOLLIS. HOLLIS may have older print editions than are listed in this guide.
Country Statistical Yearbooks (University of Wisconsin)
Country Information Sources (HKS)
U.S. Government Handbooks
World Factbook (2000-2018) is produced annually by the Central Intelligence Agency and provides brief surveys of the economic, geographic and political conditions of numerous countries.
HathiTrust Online Version (1981-2013)
Continues:
National basic intelligence factbook. 1975-1980
Online Version
Army Area Handbooks series (1957-1977) -- Country Studies (1977-2004, a few later)
Area handbook series. Washington, D.C.: American University, Foreign Area Studies
--HathiTrust Full Text (1984-1998)
--Earlier volumes in HathiTrust have individual records, so search "Area Handbook" China
--Defense Technical Information Center Search “Area Handbook” Country name
Continued by: Country Studies of the Library of Congress
Country Studies. Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1986-2004
Country Profiles 2004-2008
--Latest update of brief country data