In the 1990s, Mark B. Adams published a pioneering volume comparing the development and use of eugenics in Germany, France, Brazil and Russia. Since then, a handful of comparative studies of the history of eugenics has appeared, but none as substantial as The Oxford Handbook of the History of Eugenics. Nearly six hundred pages long, it examines many recent national studies and various eugenics practices, from puériculture and better-breeding contests to the practices of sterilization and even euthanasia. The section on national/colonial manifestations of eugenics examines all continents of the world and includes chapters on the use of eugenics in, for example Iran, Japan and the Dutch East Indies.

Eugenics, the scientific study of improving human biology, was widely disseminated and applied in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Factors contributing to this expansion were acceptance of the theory of evolution; the rapid growth of Mendelism and the establishment of modern genetics; new surgical technologies that, among other things, made sterilization possible; and substantial demographic changes and expanding poverty following industrialization. Interpreted in a biological framework, these societal changes stood out as threatening: the demands for eugenic science grew rapidly, and the science was applied in arenas such as policy-making, segregation, internment and sterilization.

Historical studies have demonstrated that eugenics underwent several transitions in the twentieth century, from racist and anthropological origins early in the century, to a reformed and non-racist basis in the 1930s. Starting in the 1950s, eugenics was oriented towards human genetics, emphasizing, for example, demographic programmes of fertility control and family planning. The development of eugenics was never linear, but demonstrated a complex pattern of continuity and change. Part II of the book deals with several national or regional studies of the development of eugenics in various settings, exploring the different developments.

There is also a section on transnational themes in the history of eugenics. This section is most useful for those interested in the multifaceted origins of eugenics, and its formal abandonment. Alison Bashford rightly claims, however, that the science of eugenics in the old-fashioned sense never quite disappeared, and gives information on certain groups still working in this tradition. In this section, eugenics’ connections to academic disciplines such as anthropology, genetics and psychiatry; its relationship with Darwinism, race and colonialism; and its impact on questions of fertility, contraception, gender and sexuality are explored. The contributors are well known in the field; they include Diane B. Paul, Paul Weindling, Nils Roll-Hansen and Alexandra Minna Stern.

Unlike many handbooks, this one also takes a welcome look at the historiography of the study of eugenics. In the epilogue, Bashford explores the many forms eugenics took during its transition into practice – for example, human genetics, genetic counselling and Third World population-control programmes – without avoiding the uncomfortable question whether eugenics is still part of our lives. Here, Bashford raises many important questions and identifies key areas for future study. The last sentence of the book could serve as its credo: ‘We should imagine – and research – a continuous modern discourse, a history of eugenics over the long twentieth century’ (p. 552).

This comprehensive volume can be used both as a reference work on the history of eugenics and as a companion to future studies of the subject. Both the beginner and the seasoned scholar should be able to find new and intriguing perspectives in this well-edited volume.