History Guide

A five- volume encyclopedia of world history, covering 250,000 years of human history. Compiles knowledge from paleoanthropology, archaeology, geology, and geography. Emphasis on cultural contact and social change over time and place. Overviews of core topics. Extensive coverage of arts, literature, religion, and science. Biographies of 100 leaders who shaped world history.

Contains over 800 entries that offer information on all topics of exploration worldwide, including advances in navigation, the discovery of the New World, polar expeditions, and the space age.
Covers navigational and marine sciences and ranges from ancient cultures through modern space exploration.

Online version of an extensive three volume work, providing a comprehensive overview of archaeology worldwide.

A 6-volume survey of the history of Western thought and culture, presented through 700 alphabetically arranged entries. Each entry explores the origin, cultural interpretations, and historical themes of such subjects as beauty, love, feminism, diversity, and social capital, among many others.

4-volume work that provides comprehensive coverage of the role women have played throughout history.
Contains over 650 biographies of influential women and over 600 topical articles covering topics such as geography and history, culture and society, organizations, movements, and gender studies.

This three volume print encyclopedia is an excellent starting point for getting a topic overview on any topic in ancient history. Articles typically include fairly brief but useful bibliographies.

This useful one volume print enyclopedia features biographical and thematic articles on important women and topics throughout the ancient world. Articles include brief but helpful bibliographies.

Provides both scholars and non-specialists with a comprehensive source of reference about the classical world. Over 6,200 entries that provide coverage of Greek and Roman history, literature, myth, religion, linguistics, philosophy, law, science, art and archaeology, and topics in near eastern studies and late antiquity.

This 7 vol. encyclopedia to the ancient Greek and Roman world is an excellent starting point for classical research and serves as a good companion to the standard Oxford Classical Dictionary. It features fewer, but more extensive articles with up-to-date bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. It is also written with a bit more focus on college student needs. You will always want to check your topic in both works.

This work is the "first comprehensive, multi-disciplinary reference work covering every aspect of history, culture, religion, and life in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East (including the Persian Empire and Central Asia) between c. AD 250 to 750." -- publisher's website.

Examines the diverse peoples of early European civilization through a series of 212 essays, presented in chronological order. Coverage includes prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000). Includes maps, photos, and chronologies.

Extensive scholarly encyclopedia to the ancient Mesoamerican world, including "Pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern Mesoamerica, defined as the lands stretching from Mexico to the southern tip of Central America. With more than 600 articles, it is invaluable for those interested in the rich heritage of this land. Encompassing the great civilizations of the pre-Columbian era (including the Olmec, Aztec, and Maya peoples) up through the colonial and postcolonial periods, the Encyclopedia covers art, archaeology, religious studies, anthropology, history, and historiography of the region in fully cross-referenced, signed articles by the leading scholars in the discipline." -- website

This one volume print encyclopedia provides an excellent introduction to the life and roles of women in the various societies and cultures of the ancient world. It is organized by region and includes chapter length surveys for each region. Articles include brief list of important sources for further reading.

Featuring 600 original articles written by leading scholars, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt goes far beyond the records of archaeology to make available what we know about the full social, political, religious, cultural and artistic legacy of this 5,000-year civilization.

Extensive print encyclopedia to the archaeology of the ancient Near East.

An extensive print encyclopedia providing a comprehensive historical and cultural introduction to all the civilizations of the ancient near eastern world. Key overview source for Ancient Mesopotamia.

This four volume print encyclopedia is an excellent starting place for medieval European topics. Use in combination with the more extensive, but older, articles in the Dictionary of the Middle Ages.

Comprehensive print encyclopedia to the Middle Ages. The best starting point for all topics in medieval research. Articles include extensive bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. Includes a more up-to-date supplement (2004) with additional articles.

A collaborative work of over 600 scholars from more than forty countries. Provides 3,000 concise and detailed articles on all aspects of the period from the fifth to the fifteenth century. Explores art, architecture, religion, law, science, language, philosophy, and theology, as well as cultural, religious, intellectual, social and political history. Focuses on Europe and Christendom and also the rise of Islam.

This two volume encyclopedia features substantial articles on the major topics of Medieval Studies. Use the "Guide to Related Topics" to see the kinds of topics that are included. An approachable academic source.

Covers history and culture of Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East from 250-750 C.E.

This encyclopedia is THE starting place for undergraduate research on medieval warfare. The more general articles include very extensive annotated bibliographies of primary source material.

With more than 5,000 entries by an international group of eminent historians, this is the standard research tool on 1,100 years of Byzantine history.
Exhaustive in its coverage, entries on patriarchy and emperors coexist with entries on surgery, musical instruments, and the baking of bread, bringing to life this vastly important culture and empire, from the 4th century to the 15th.

An extensive, six volume, print encyclopedia to the Renaissance. An excellent starting point for research on renaissance topics.

Covers 1670-1815, "coverage includes not only Western Europe but also North America, Brazil, and Iberian, Russian, Jewish, and Eastern European cultures."

This six-volume reference includes more than 230 articles, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 words, on everything from serfdom and the economy, to witchcraft and public health.

Provides a comprehensive discussion of Russia's people, politics, economics, religion, and social systems; and is designed to complement the study of comparative politics, world history, geography, literature, arts and culture and world cultures. Entries span the period from the earliest beginnings of the Russian nation to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.

This is a monumental work of scholarship on the history and culture of Middle East, Caucacus, and Central and South Asia. Provides background information on life in Afghanistan, Iran & Iraq.

This one volume historical dictionary provides the student researcher with excellent brief articles on the whole range of topics relevant to the history of Iran. It concludes with an extensive (86 pages), topically arranged bibliography of English language books about Iran.

A 4-volume survey of the history, cultures, geography and religions of India from ancient times to the present day. Includes more than 600 entries, arranged alphabetically.

This dictionary is a very useful companion to any research on medieval china, defining terms, people, dynasties, events, etc., in paragraph length entries. Includes excellent selective bibliography, with a very useful selective bibliography in western languages (mostly English), arranged by time period.

One of two multi-volume encyclopedias on China published in 2009 (firsts of their kind in English!), greatly expanding the available resources for student research on China. It covers a wide range of topics including: Arts and Culture; Geography and Environment; Governance; Language and Learning; Organizations with a China Focus; Science, Technology, and Medicine; Society and Social Welfare; Values and Worldview.

Provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of Latin American history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. Covers cultural issues and includes numerous biographical profiles of important figures in politics, letters and the arts.

Extensive scholarly encyclopedia to the ancient Mesoamerican world, including "Pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern Mesoamerica, defined as the lands stretching from Mexico to the southern tip of Central America. With more than 600 articles, it is invaluable for those interested in the rich heritage of this land. Encompassing the great civilizations of the pre-Columbian era (including the Olmec, Aztec, and Maya peoples) up through the colonial and postcolonial periods, the Encyclopedia covers art, archaeology, religious studies, anthropology, history, and historiography of the region in fully cross-referenced, signed articles by the leading scholars in the discipline." -- website

This is a major, 5 vol. online encyclopedia to the history and culture of Africa. It features essay-length treatment of topics, frequently with significant bibliographies.

This is the best starting place for research on any aspect of religion. Get a good introduction and overview to your topic and excellent suggestions for primary and secondary sources.

This comprehensive dictionary (4th ed. 2022) has 6,500+ entries on Christian history, theology, liturgy, and related topics such as Biblical studies. Articles cover biographies, theological terms, historical events, creeds, major writings, countries, denominations, and religious organizations. The typical entry is several paragraphs long with 10-20 key references to primary and secondary sources. It is an excellent, authoritative starting point for most kinds of research on Christianity. The most recent edition has greatly expanded the coverage of global Christianity.

This comprehensive encyclopedia is an important starting point for any research related to Roman Catholicism, and to Christianity more broadly. It features extensive articles on the beliefs, practices, people, and history of Catholicism.

This comprehensive encyclopedia is the best source for beginning most research on topics related to Judaism. It provides extensive coverage of the religion, history, customs, beliefs, people, organizations, and events connected with Judaism. Article include excellent bibliographies of primary and secondary sources.

An authoritative one-volume dictionary of Judaism, now in a second edition.

This comprehensive encyclopedia is the most important starting place for research on Islam. Written by Western scholars of Islam, it provides thorough coverage of the history, people, ideas, religion, and culture of Islam worldwide. As this is a complex scholarly source, please feel free to ask for assistance in using it.

This substantial encyclopedia provides students and other researchers with an easily accessible introduction to research on Islamic culture and history. It covers the whole history of Islam and serves as a very useful companion work to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam in the Modern World. Entries provide the reader with excellent lists of books and articles on the topic. Those seeking more detailed information will want to consult the Encyclopedia of Islam as well.

This is an extensive introductory encyclopedia to Buddhism. An excellent place to begin research on Buddhist topics.

A 3-volume online encyclopedic survey of clothing, costume and fashion, presented through 640 essays, arranged alphabetically. Coverage includes the origins of clothing and body adornment, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress, as well as representative costumes from a wide range of historical eras.

This extensive encyclopedia features in-depth articles on food worldwide. It includes an array of regional articles on ancient and medieval food cultures, for example: "Greece, Ancient" or "Ancient and Dynastic China" or "Ancient Mediterranean Religions".

An encyclopedia on the history of sports in the world. Major topics include 300 modern and traditional sports in 75 nations, cultural and social paradigms and perspectives, college and youth sports, competitions and major events, major sports venues, and the evolution of media coverage. Volumes include 500 articles supplemented by over 1,000 illustrations and sidebars.

This excellent print encyclopedia is a terrific starting point for any science, technology, or medicine topics in non-Western countries.