In general, there is a substantial time lag between the publication date of a book and the appearance of a serious review, and another lag between the appearance of the review and the indexing of that review in a database. Knowing the date of the publication is a critical factor in determining what database/source will yield the best results.
Book Review Digest: 1905-1974. Bronx, NY, H.W. Wilson, 1976
Doe Reference Z 1219 .C95 Suppl. Periodical Indexes
Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals, 1802-1974. Woodbridge, CT, Research Publications, 1982-84
Doe Reference Z 1035 .A1 .C62 1982 Periodical Indexes
Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals, 1886-1974. Arlington, VA, Carrollton Press, 1979-1982
Doe Reference Z 1035 .A1 .C63 Periodical Indexes
Review Essays review multiple books in the framework of a broader examination of the scholarly literature on a topic.
Historiographic essays address the history of the history of a topic.
To locate them in article databases, combine your topical keywords with "review essay" or historiograph* (using the truncation symbol appropriate for the database you are using).
