"World History - A Genealogy" charts the history of the discipline through twenty-five in-depth conversations with historians whose work has shaped the field of World History in various fundamental ways. These conversations, which took place over a period of twenty years in and around Leiden University for its World History journal "Itinerario", cover these historians' lives, their work, and their views of the Academy in general and the field of World History in particular. An extensive introduction distills the most important developments in the field from these conversations, and sheds light on what these historians have in common, as well as what separates them. It shows the importance of personal connections and networks in the production of world historical knowledge.

Carolien Stolte is an assistant professor of History at Leiden University and editor-in-chief of the Journal Itinerario. Her research focuses on the history of South Asia in a transregional perspective.

Alicia Schrikker is assistant professor of History at Leiden, she works on colonial history in Asia and has a particular interest in natural disasters and socio-legal history.