World History (Non-U.S.): Books: Topics

This comprehensive A-Z guide to the history of Britain and its peoples will be indispensable reading for general readers and students. It contains some 1400 pages packed full of fascinating detail on everything from Hadrian's Wall to the Black Death to Tony Blair. The Companion to British History was assembled over more than thirty years and was first published in 1996 by Longcross Press to great acclaim. The author has comprehensively updated it for the paperback edition.

Containing more than 3,800 authoritative entries written by over 100 specialist contributors, this dictionary describes the people and events that have shaped and defined domestic, political, social, and cultural life in Britain since 55 BC. Following the A-Z text is an appendix of recommended web links that provide relevant and useful extra information. Web links are conveniently accessed via the Dictionary of British History companion website, where they are regularly checked and kept up to date.

Arranged alphabetically, this volume contains articles on various aspects of life in the Middle Ages, from A.D. 500 to 1500 and covering a geographic area including the Latin West, the Slavic world, Asia Minor, the lands of the caliphate in the East, and the Muslim-Christian areas of North Africa.

"This four-volume set features nearly 1,500 entries by experts on all aspects of Russian history, including important biographical figures, geographical areas, ethnographic groups, cultural landmarks, military campaigns, and social issues."--"The Top 20 Reference Titles of the Year," American Libraries, May 2004.

First Published in 2002. Presents overviews of countries on the Continent during the 18th century where the Enlightenment philosophy took hold, cultural topics (astronomy, libraries, salons, coffeehouses), aesthetic movements (Baroque, grotesque), anthropological topics (love, work, children, surgery), and descriptive topics (grand tour).

For over sixty years, The Oxford Classical Dictionary has been the unrivaled one-volume reference in the field of classics. Now completely revised and updated to include the very latest research findings, developments, and publications, this highly acclaimed reference work will be the most up-to-date and comprehensive dictionary available on all aspects of the classical era. In over 6,700 entries written by the very best of classical scholars from around the world, the Dictionary provides coverage of Greek and Roman history, literature, myth, religion, linguistics, philosophy, law,science, art, archaeology, near eastern studies, and late antiquity. New entries supplement the existing material, including entries on topics such as Adrasteia, Latin anthologies, Jewish art, ancient religious beliefs, emotions, film, gender, kinship, and many more. Other specific developments include an added focus on two new areas: "anthropology" and "reception".All entries are written in an accessible style and all Latin and Greek words have been translated to ensure ease of use. Under the editorship of Simon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth, and Esther Eidinow, a huge range of contributors have revised and updated the text, which has made an already outstanding work even better.

Here, in a single convenient volume, is the essential reference book for anyone with an interest in British history and its contemporary legacy. Drawing on the latest scholarship, over 100 distinguished contributors describe and analyse the people and events that have shaped and defined life in Britain over 2000 years of political, social and cultural change. The unrivaled range of lateral coverage includes authors, composers and musicians, legal and technical terms, newspapers and periodicals, ranks and orders, sport and leisure, and scholarship and education. For readers interested in local history, or who like to explore history on the ground, there are also entries on individual counties, cathedrals and churches, palaces and royal residences, and a range of other sites of historical significance. As well as providing reliable factual information, the Companion also offers detailed interpretation and analysis, giving readers a sense of how events and personalities relate to each other, whilst its multi-disciplinary approach places topics in the widest possible context.

New, updated, and revised to include new discoveries about the use of weapons in ancient China, upheavals in Lebanon, the winding down of the Soviet-Afghanistan war, the invasions of Grenada and Panama by U.S. forces, the war in the Persian Gulf, and the collapse of the Soviet and Eastern European Communist governments.

Featuring a wealth of new information and the work of acclaimed scholars from around the world, this monumental 5 volume resource is the new standard reference on the 20th century's most influential conflict. Has 1,219 entries covering military culture and tactics for all engaged armies in unprecedented depth, describing important events (the sinking of the Lusitania, the Arab revolt), cultural and political figures (Ferdinand Foch, Wilfred Owen), geopolitical agreements (the covenant of the League of Nations), social issues (the role of religions), and much more * 175 contributors, including scholars from the United States, Britain, China, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia, giving this encyclopedia an unprecedented global perspective * A separate primary source volume with 195 official documents, diary entries, and letters from all types of people involved in the war, with introductory information to place the documents in historical context * An opening section of 35 battle and locational maps providing the geographic context necessary to understand how the conflict moved and where and why the battlefield stalled * Insightful introductory essays that discuss the root causes of the war, the catalyzing events that lead to the outbreak of war, an overview of the war itself, and a discussion of the long-term impact of the war, providing context for the A–Z entries that follow * A list of comparative military ranks, glossary, historiography, and general bibliography, plus a comprehensive chronology providing researchers and readers with a sense of time and relationship between the major events of the conflict.

Salem Press's Magill's Guide to Military History presents a survey of wars, battles, people, groups, and civilizations that played an important role in worldwide military history, from ancient times to the 21st century. In addition to comprehensive coverage of Western military history, the encyclopedia examines the major military events, personages, and civilizations of the entire world from the beginning of military history.

This “concise” work seeks to provide a synthesis one of the most complex and expansive subjects of the twentieth century and possibly human history into a usable reference tool. In addition to focusing on significant battles, leaders, politics, and diplomacy, author Nolan (International History Institute) devotes considerable attention to issues on the eastern front as well as the effects of the war on peripheral participants and neutrals. Although there is some discussion of related facts, this is not an encyclopedia of the home front, social movements, or the Holocaust. For the most part, this is a work dedicated to the operations, campaigns, battles, and principal political and military actors in what was the most destructive total war to date. Each volume begins with a comprehensive list of entries and 20 black-and-white maps representing engagements in all theaters of the war, for example, the Battle of the Bulge and Leyte Gulf. The alphabetically arranged entries range in length from single lines (Command post, Dime Force, Interdiction, S-phone) to up to several pages for key individuals (Hermann Goring, Henri Pétain), battles, campaigns, and operations (Ardennes Offensive, Philippines, TORCH) as well as general terms (Aircraft carriers, Fascism, Rations). Other examples of entries include Blockade running, Eastern front, Imperial Japanese Navy, RADAR, U-boats, and Yalta Conference. Most of the larger entries include a suggested reading. Numerous see and see also references aid in navigation. Volume 2 concludes with a comprehensive index and a 32-page categorized, select bibliography for further research. Although any work attempting to cover such a huge topic concisely faces the twin pitfalls of selection and exclusion, Nolan has brought his considerable talents and flair for economic and engaging writing to the task and produced what is certainly an impressive reference work, recommended for larger public libraries and undergraduate collections. It may not be a necessary purchase for libraries that already own the five-volume Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social, and Military History (2005), which has numerous black-and-white photographs and several hundred documents in addition to many more entries... Available as an e-book. --Brian Odom in Booklist

Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of VE Day, The Oxford Companion to the Second World War is the most wide-ranging and balanced work on the Second World War, the ultimate reference on the subject. Its 1,750 alphabetically-arranged entries vary from brief definitions and one-line signposts to major pieces of description and analysis of several thousand words. They cover every aspect of the Second World War, from strategy, politics, tactics, and weaponry to logistics, political and military leaders, economics, and the effects on society. The Second World War often divides the views of historians today almost as much as it divided combatants at the time. To reflect the diversity of views about the war the Companion has been written by an international team of more than 140 distinguished contributors, and includes Japanese, German,and Italian perspectives. The huge volume of information is supported by a wealth of illustrative and weaponry to logistics, political and military leaders, economics, and the effects on society. The Second World War often divides the views of historians today almost as much as it divided combatants at the time. To reflect the diversity of views about the war the Companion has been written by an international team of more than 140 distinguished contributors, and includes Japanese, German,and Italian perspectives. The huge volume of information is supported by a wealth of illustrative material including stunningly evocative black and white photographs, numerous explanatory diagrams and tables, and detailed maps. A truly international team of contributors including: John Gooch, Wilhelm Deist, Norman Davies, Robert O'Neill, David Kennedy, Martin Gilbert, Robert Dallek, Michael Howard, Richard Overy, Heinz-Dietrich Lowe, Yogi Akashi, Robert Service, Peter Calvocoressi, Anthony Farrar-Hockley, Judith Brown,Lucio Ceva, Sumio Hatano, Ben-Ami Shillony, Earl Ziemke, Klaus A. Maier, Ali Gheissari, Giorgio Rochat

Providing an exhaustive and organized overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures, Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition is important to scholars, general readers and students. With more than 22,000 signed entries on Jewish life, culture, history and religion, this second edition incorporates more than three decades of changes and the latest scholarship-such as new archaeological sites, theories and analytical methodologies. Featuring original work by top scholars representing all major universities and centres of research in Jewish studies, this invaluable set expands the scope and relevance of the original with some 2,200 brand-new entries.

"Present[s] a rounded picture of a subject about which Americans hear only the extremes...an important purchase for academic and public libraries."--RBB/Booklist. "A valuable reference for every sort of reader....Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries."--Library Journal. The first encyclopedia dedicated to the institutions, religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies throughout the world, this work contains over 750 articles that focus on the Islamic dimension of the Muslim experience in recent history. Entries address political and social action as well as formal texts, and emphasis is placed on the practice and theory of Islam in the Arab heartland, as well as in South and Southeast Asia, and in Europe and the Americas. This is an invaluable resource offering extensive comparative and systematic analyses of Islamic beliefs, institutions, movements, practices, and peoples on an international scale.

This succinct yet comprehensive encyclopedia presents Christianity in both its historical context and as a religion with great contemporary diversity. From figures and events of the earliest years to twentieth-century movements. Parrinder combines detail with breadth and remains clear and concise throughout.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an authoritative reference guide that enables students, their teachers, and Christian clergy to reflect critically upon all aspects of Christianity from its origins to the present day. Written by a team of 800 scholars and practitioners from around the world, the volume reflects the plurality of Christianity throughout its history. Key features: • Offers a presentation of the Christian beliefs and practices of all major Christian traditions in each continent and each nation • Highlights the different understandings of Christian beliefs and practices in different historical, cultural, religious, denominational, and secular contexts • Includes entries on methodology and the plurality of approaches that are used in the study of Christianity • Combines several approaches - including anthropological, cultural studies, ecumenical, and interfaith - to each Christian tradition • Respects each Christian tradition, through the self-presentation of Christianity in each country or Christian tradition • Includes clusters of entries on beliefs and practices, each presenting the understanding of a given Christian belief or practice in different historical and contemporary contexts • Demonstrates the relationship and interaction of Christianity with other religious traditions in various parts of the world • Provides a full bibliography on all topics covered in the volume.

Uniquely authoritative and wide-ranging in its scope, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is the indispensable one-volume reference work on all aspects of the Christian Church. It contains over 6,000 cross-referenced A-Z entries, and offers unrivaled coverage of all aspects of this vast and often complex subject, from theology; churches and denominations; patristic scholarship; and the bible; to the church calendar and its organisation; popes; archbishops; saints; and mystics. In this revision, innumerable small changes have been made to take into account shifts in scholarly opinion, recent developments, such as the Church of England's new prayer book (Common Worship), RC canonizations, ecumenical advances and mergers and, where possible, statistics. Established since its first appearance in 1957 as an essential resource for ordinands, clergy and members of religious orders, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is an invaluable tool for academics, teachers, and students of church history and theology, as well as for the general reader.

A critical chapter in the history of Christian thought, the Reformation provoked political, social, and cultural transformations that profoundly changed the Western world. This is the first major reference to cover the immense subject of the Reformation in its entirety. It is a unique compendium of contemporary scholarship focusing on the complete range of religious and social changes wrought by the Reformation--including not only issues of church polity and theology but also related developments in politics, economics, demographics, art, and literature. It is an unparalleled source of information on the personalities and events of the era, with broad coverage ranging from biographies to extensive treatments of topics such as Lutheranism, women, law, music, the Holy Roman Empire, peasants, the Bible, persecution, and literacy.