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RR 2011/145 The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages Edited by Robert E. Bjork Oxford University Press Oxford 2010 4 vols ISBN 978 0 19 866262 4 £325; $595
Keywords Dictionaries, Europe, History
Review DOI 10.1108/09504121111119149
This lavishly produced work is a pleasure to use. Everything about it is attractive, from the design of the volume covers and the quality of the paper to the beautifully produced black-and-white plates and maps. The work describes itself as "designed to be a resource of first resort for specialists and non-specialists alike" and includes entries of varying length (although the majority are quite short, in keeping with the work's designation as a dictionary) on "all key aspects of European history, society, religion and culture, c.500-c.1500" (p. ix). Entries include country and place names as well as topics relating to many aspects of medieval civilisation such as art and architecture, intellectual movements, language, literature, medicine, music, liturgy, science and technology. Some entries relate to historical context and inquiry, such as classical influences, medieval historical writings and archaeology. Many relate to key figures and events in medieval ecclesiastical, legal, military, political, social and economic history.
The work does a very impressive job of signalling the scholarliness of its contents. We are told on the back cover of the volumes that over 800 scholars contributed to the Oxford Dictionary of...