Regional and National History

From the pharaohs to Frantz Fanon, Dictionary of African Biography provides a comprehensive overview of the lives of the men and women who shaped Africa’s history. Unprecedented in scale, DAB covers the whole continent from Tunisia to South Africa, from Sierra Leone to Somalia. It also encompasses the full scope of history from Queen Hatsheput of Egypt (1490–1468 BCE) and Hannibal, the military commander and strategist of Carthage (243–183 BCE), to Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana (1909–1972), Miriam Makeba, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa (b. 1918). Subjects are drawn from all walks of life, including philosophers, politicians, activists, entertainers, scholars, poets, scientists, religious figures, kings, and everyday people.

Over 130 entries

This publication, the first of its kind since 1898, represents the work of more than one hundred internationally recognized experts from nearly a dozen countries. It has been designed to satisfy the growing thirst of students, researchers, professionals, and general readers for knowledge about China. It makes the entire span of Chinese history manageable by introducing the reader to emperors, politicians, poets, writers, artists, scientists, explorers, and philosophers who have shaped and transformed China over the course of five thousand years. In 135 entries, ranging from 1,000 to 8,000 words and written by some of the world's leading China scholars, the Dictionary takes the reader from the important (even if possibly mythological) figures of ancient China to Communist leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The in-depth essays provide rich historical context, and create a compelling narrative that weaves abstract concepts and disparate events into a coherent story. Cross-references between the articles show the connections between times, places, movements, events, and individuals.

The work features a range of appendices, including a timeline of key events, a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, lists of rulers and other prominent people, and other supplemental materials for students of Chinese history and culture.

Over 100 entries

The fourth volume of the Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography covers the years 1979-2015, providing a riveting new way to understand twenty-first-century China and a personal look at the changes that have taken place since the Reform and Opening Up era started in 1979. One hundred key individuals from this period were selected by an international group of experts, and the stories were written by more than 70 authors in 14 countries. The authors map the paths taken by these individuals-some rocky, some meandering, some fateful-and in telling their stories give contemporary Chinese history a human face. The editors have included – with the advice of myriad experts around the world – not only the life stories of politicians and government officials, who play a crucial role in the development of the country, but the stories of cultural figures including film directors, activists, writers, and entrepreneurs from the mainland China, Hong Kong, and also from Taiwan.

The "Greater China" that comes through in this volume has diverse ideas and identities. It is often contradictory, sometimes fractious, and always full of creative human complexity. Some of the lives rendered here are heroic. Some are tragic, and many are inspirational. Some figures come in for trenchant criticism, and others are celebrated with a sense of wonder and awe. Like previous volumes of the Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography, this volume includes a range of appendices, including a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, and a timeline of key events.

The work features a range of appendices, including a timeline of key events, a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, lists of rulers and other prominent people, and other supplemental materials for students of Chinese history and culture.

800 entries

With its coverage of environmental issues, global economics, online communications, and the latest political developments, this Encyclopedia is truly a 21st-century work. While including many articles about China's earliest history - going back more than 5,000 years - the Encyclopedia is focused on the events, concepts, and people that matter today. The authors of its 800 accessibly written and lavishly illustrated articles, which range from 600 to 6,000 words, are scholars at major Chinese and Western universities and research institutes.

‘A magisterial excavation of black Britain...every student in the country should read it. ’, - Christina Patterson, The Independent

Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the long and fascinating history of black people in the British Isles, The Oxford Companion to Black British History explores the subject from its beginnings in Roman times to the present day. From African auxiliaries stationed on Hadrian's Wall in the 2nd century AD, through John Edmonstone, who taught taxidermy to Charles Darwin, Mary Seacole, the 'Black Florence Nightingale', and Walter Tull, footballer and First World War officer, to our own day, the OCBBH provides detailed timeline charts and key dates for people and events. Key concepts such as Emancipation and Reparations are examined, while a unique collection of articles are brought together to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the black presence in Britain, and the rich and diverse contribution it has made to British society. It will appeal to a wide readership including university academics, A-level and undergraduate students, and teachers, as well as to general readers with an interest in Black British history. The publication is also particularly timely: the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority highlighted in their annual report of December 2005 the need to give more attention to the wider teaching of black history.

This book is edited by the prize-winning novelist and noted academic David Dabydeen, together with respected scholars John Gilmore and Cecily Jones, and written by more than 100 specialists.

2006 ALA/RUSA Outstanding Reference Source

2005Booklist Editor's Choice

2005 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

The second edition of Black Women in America, edited by Darlene Clark Hine, provides expanded coverage of the achievements and contributions of African American women.

Winner of the Dartmouth Medal for Outstanding Reference Publication of 1994, the first edition of Black Women in America broke new ground—pulling together for the first time all of the research in this vast but underrepresented field to provide one of the strongest building blocks of Black Women’s Studies. Hailed by Eric Foner of Columbia University as “one of those publishing events which changes the way we look at a field,” it simultaneously filled a void in the literature and sparked new research and concepts regarding African American women in history. Since the first edition was published, a new generation of American black women has flourished, demanding this landmark reference be brought up to date. Women such as Venus and Serena Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Carol Moseley Braun, Ruth Simmons, and Ann Fudge have become household names for their remarkable contributions to sports, politics, academia, and business. In nearly 600 entries, Black Women in America celebrates the remarkable achievements of black women throughout history, highlights their ongoing contributions in America today, and represents the new research the first edition helped to generate.

Over 500 entries

The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment is the first reference work on this key subject in early American history. With substantial and original essays on key American Enlightenment figures, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, David Rittenhouse, Benjamin Rush, Jonathan Edwards and many others, it provides a comprehensive account to complement the intense scholarly activity that has recently centered on the European Enlightenment. This wide-ranging collection also includes topical essays, and entries on dozens of often-overlooked secondary figures.

It has long been known that Americans made their own contributions to the Enlightenment, most notably by putting Enlightenment ideas to work in defining the American Revolution, the United States Constitution, and the nature of the early American Republic. These volumes show that the American Enlightenment was more far reaching than even that story assumes. Presenting a fresh definition of the Enlightenment in America, this remarkable work confirms that the American Enlightenment constitutes the central framework for understanding the development of American history between c.1720 and c.1820.

This is the essential reference title for all those interested in Canadian History. From the Norse to Nunavut, The Oxford Companion to Canadian History provides an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the significant events, issues, institutions, places, and people that have shaped Canada from earliest times to the present.

‘The book is packed with interest to the final page’ – The Independent

Over 3,800 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. New entries to this edition include Diamond Jubilee 2012, Ed Miliband, and United Kingdom Independence Party; and existing entries on David Cameron, Elizabeth II, national debt, and Alex Salmond have been updated.

Derived from the highly acclaimed Oxford Companion to British History, A Dictionary of British History has been a leading historical reference work since its publication in 2001. Now thoroughly revised and fully updated, this invaluable A–Z remains essential for anyone studying British history.

From Toussaint L’Ouverture to Pelé, the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography will provide a comprehensive overview of the lives of Caribbeans and Afro-Latin Americans who are historically significant. The project will be unprecedented in scale, covering the entire Caribbean, and the Afro-descended populations throughout Latin America, including people who spoke and wrote Creole, Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. It will also encompass the full scope of history, with entries on figures from the first forced slave migrations in the sixteenth centuries, to entries on living persons such as the Haitian musician and politician Wyclef Jean and the Cuban author and poet Nancy Morejón. Individuals will be drawn from all walks of life including philosophers, politicians, activists, entertainers, scholars, poets, scientists, religious figures, kings, and everyday people whose lives have contributed to the history of the Caribbean and Latin America.

The Encyclopedia of Africa presents the most up-to-date and thorough reference in world history, politics, and culture on this region of ever-growing importance. Its core is comprised of entries focusing on African history and culture from 2005’s acclaimed five-volume Africana—nearly two-thirds of these 1,300 entries have been updated, revised, and expanded to reflect the most recent scholarship.

The articles cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religions, ethnic groups, organizations, and countries throughout Africa. In-depth articles examine contemporary nations of sub-Saharan Africa, ethnic groups from various regions of Africa, and European colonial powers. Two hundred illustrations and demographic sidebars further guide and inform research.

This remarkable work traces the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ascendant influence of African Americans on the American cultural landscape. With coverage up to and including the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, the Encyclopedia contains approximately 1,200 fully cross-referenced entries all signed by leading scholars and experts, offering the most reliable and extensive treatment to be found on African American history in this era.

It is impossible to understand America without understanding the history of African Americans. In nearly seven hundred entries, the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 documents the full range of the African American experience during that period—from the arrival of the first slave ship to the death of Frederick Douglass—and shows how all aspects of American culture, history, and national identity have been profoundly influenced by the experience of African Americans. This landmark achievement, originally published in three volumes, is now available for the first time as an easily-searched, quick access e-book.

The Encyclopedia covers an extraordinary range of subjects. Major topics such as “Abolitionism,” “Black Nationalism,” the “Dred Scott case,” “Reconstruction,” “Slave Rebellions and Insurrections,” the “Underground Railroad,” and “Voting Rights” are given the in-depth treatment one would expect. But the encyclopedia also contains hundreds of fascinating entries on less obvious subjects, such as the “Black Seafarers,” “Buffalo Soldiers,” the “Catholic Church and African Americans,” “New York African Free Schools,” the “Secret Six,” and much more. In addition, the Encyclopedia offers brief biographies of important African Americans—as well as white Americans who have played a significant role in African American history—from Crispus Attucks and John Brown to Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimke, Nat Turner, Phillis Wheatley, and many others.

All of the Encyclopedia's entries are accessibly written and free of jargon and technical terms. Selective bibliographies and cross-references accompanying each article direct readers to related entries within the Encyclopedia and to primary sources and scholarly works beyond it. A chronology of major events and nearly 300 black and white illustrations enhance the work's usefulness.

This authoritative and accessible guide to the British monarchy spans the Romano-British rulers of 55 BC to the present day House of Windsor. Generously illustrated with maps, photos, paintings, and genealogies, it contains a wealth of information on the rulers of Britain, including their policies, personalities, key dates, and legacies. Feature articles throughout the guide provide in-depth information on key royal topics, including Coronations, Regalia, the Tower of London, and - new to this edition - Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral.

Revised and updated to include recent events, such as the second marriage of Prince Charles, this new edition also contains a topical introductory article (under ‘Preface’) on the changing role of the monarchy. There is also a useful glossary and a list of recommended further reading.

Invaluable for students and teachers of British history, and ideal for anyone with an interest in the monarchy of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The Oxford Companion to Australian History draws on the latest scholarship and covers people, institutions, and events that have shaped Australian society, politics and culture. There are entries on politicians, colonisers, visionaries, newspaper barons, industrialists, explorers, writers, artists, and scientists. There are numerous extended essays on key facets of the nation's life — political, social, cultural, scientific, military, and economic. Readers will find incisive entries on matters such as, art, capital punishment, gambling, language, literature, military history, republicanism, and reconciliation.

Over 4,500 entries

First published in 1997, under the editorship of the late John Cannon and in consultation with over 100 distinguished contributors, this Companion describes and analyses the people and events that have shaped and defined life in Britain over more than 2,000 years of political, social, and cultural change.

It provides a wealth of fact and insight on all aspects of the subject and from a variety of perspectives, including social, political, military, cultural, economic, scientific, and feminist. As well as the usual monarchs, battles, and political events, there are dozens of entries on the wider aspects of British history over the centuries. New entries on topics such as alternative vote, the financial crisis, Olympics in Britain, and the Scottish Independence Referendum ensure that the Companion remains relevant and current. Useful appendices include maps and genealogies, as well as a subject index.

‘a serious reference work which, unusually, is also a rewarding read for the casual browser...[a] good Companion to student, historian or lay reader alike’ - Neil Johnston, Belfast Telegraph

In a field that has long been at the epicentre of political and academic debate, The Oxford Companion to Irish History offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide to all aspects of this fascinating and complex land. Written by a team of 91 renowned experts in the field of Irish studies, the Companion's 1,800 A-Z entries explore Irish history from earliest times to the early 21st century. Revised and updated this second edition of the Companion takes an inclusive approach to Irish history, with entries ranging from horse racing to Home Rule, bogs to boxing, and Parnell to parliaments. Traditional topics such as the rebellion of 1798 and the Irish Civil War can be found alongside entries on newly developing areas such as women's history and popular culture. It combines concise definitions with in-depth analytical essays, while its Appendices include maps and a subject index, which groups headwords into thematic batches to provide an alternative way to access the entries.

The Oxford Companion to Irish History is invaluable to students of Irish and British history as a work of general reference, and to the general public with an interest in the history and culture of Ireland.

‘exemplary and wonderfully readable’ - Financial Times

Over 500,000 words in length, and written by more than 70 distinguished contributors, the Oxford Companion to Scottish History aims to cover more than 20 centuries of history, and interpret history broadly, covering areas such as archaeology, climate, culture, languages, immigration, migration, and emigration. Multi-authored entries analyse key themes such as national identity, women and society, living standards, and religious belief across the centuries in an authoritative yet approachable way. The A-Z entries are complemented by maps, genealogies, a glossary, a chronology, and an extensive guide to further reading.

More than a historical dictionary or encyclopedia, the Companion’s coverage extends from Orkney and Shetland to Galloway, from the Western Isles to the Borders, includes historical personalities such as Columba, Macbeth, and William Wallace, and stands alone - when compared to its competitors - in providing analysis of issues such as national identity and living standards and by offering readers a broader range of topics and approaches. An essential and authoritative reference source for students and academics of Scottish, British, Irish, and European history, and related fields, it will also appeal to interested general readers, including members of the Scottish Diaspora - in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US.

The difficulties of exploring African history, especially for earlier periods, have spurred the development of a wide range of methodologies and approaches, such that Wyatt McGaffey once termed it “the decathlon of the social sciences.” Historians have long utilized archaeology, ethnography, historical linguistics, and oral traditions, but are only beginning to explore the possibilities of genetics or many of the new techniques used by archaeology and other sciences. And as digital sources—from historical documents and statistics to cartographic, climatic, demographic, and environmental modeling—proliferate, so do the problems in using them. The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Historiography: Methods and Sources discusses these sources and methods, and examines how these developments have influenced the scholarship that historians produce. Such methods continue to evolve, demanding that historians develop basic understandings of them. Thus, the Encyclopedia builds a theoretical foundation for the field, expanding the ways that Africa can be studied, and recovering the histories of the continent that often appear outside of the documentary record.

From St. Augustine and early Ethiopian philosophers to the anticolonialist movements of Pan Africanism and Negritude, The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought offers a comprehensive view of African thought, covering the intellectual tradition on the continent and throughout the diaspora. All major trends in African philosophy, political theory, and religion will be covered, as well as significant historical figures and social movements.

The encyclopedia is a nice complement to our other well-regarded reference works in African and African American history and culture. It provides background into the intellectual traditions that have shaped this history and culture.