Book
The Oxford dictionary of the Renaissance / Gordon Campbell.
Record details
- ISBN: 0198601751 : HRD
- Physical Description: xlvi, 862 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
- Publisher: Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2003.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Renaissance > Dictionaries. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Vancouver Community College.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Circulation Modifier | Holdable? | Status | Due Date | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadway Library | CB 361 C36 2003 (Text) | 33109008699449 | Stacks | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Book News : Book News Reviews
The Renaissance that Campbell (Renaissance literature, U. of Leicester, UK) describes is long, stretching between the two Defenestrations of Prague 1415 and 1618 and even then is not so distinctly defined as cited dates might suggest. The geographical center of the reference consists of those countries where the culture was touched significantly by the revival of classical learning, and so includes nearly all of modern western, eastern, and central Europe, but mentions only in passing peripheral areas such as the Arabic, Celtic, and Ottoman. Somewhat over half of the articles are signed and include bibliographical references to primary and secondary sources. The cross-referencing is substantial, but there is no index. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) - Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2004 January
Most of the 4,000 entries in this volume were written by Campbell, professor of Renaissance literature at the University of Leicester, with assistance from an advisory board of university professors in the U.S and England. The Dictionary covers 1415 (the Battle of Agincourt) to 1618 (the beginning of the Thirty Years' War), with flexibility to include some earlier and later topics. Geographical scope includes "countries whose cultures were touched in significant measure by the revival of classical learning," especially those underrepresented in English-language sources. More than half of the entries are biographical. Other topics include law, theology, and science as well as art, literature, and music. Many involve Italy, but France and Spain are also well represented, and there is content related to Portugal, Denmark, and Germany. Some longer entries are international in scope. For example, Artillery encompasses Turkey, England, Italy, France, Spain, and Scotland. Most entries are one or two paragraphs in length, but broader topics (e.g., Medici villas, Wars of religion) are one to two pages long. Entries frequently end with two or three bibliographic references, including abbreviations for the 37 historical and biographical sources listed at the beginning of the volume. The text is supported by 100 black-and-white illustrations, a thematic index, and several appendixes, including a table of ruling houses.The Encyclopedia of the Renaissance (Scribner, 1999) contains 1,200 articles ranging from one-half to nearly 50 pages in length. The Oxford Dictionary has significantly more (if generally much shorter) entries; in our sample of 86 entries, 30 were not found in the Encyclopedia of the Renaissance index. Among those unique to Oxford are the artistic terms Arabesque and Grisaille and the doctrine of Ubiquitarianism. Oxford is especially strong in Gardens, with entries for eight specific regions (e.g., Bohemian and Moravian gardens, Scottish gardens).The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance is recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those not owning the larger Scribner set or desiring strong coverage of the Renaissance. ((Reviewed January 1 & 15, 2004)) Copyright 2004 Booklist Reviews. - Choice Reviews : Choice Reviews 2004 January
Designed as a dictionary with brief explanations of persons, ideas, and events, this volume emphasizes culture more strongly than politics. Several distinguished scholars serve as consultant or advisory editors. The front matter includes an introduction, editorial roster, thematic index, list of abbreviations, and "Note to the Reader." The dictionary proper is alphabetically arranged, with many of the brief entries followed by one or two bibliographic references. Some articles include black-and-white illustrations. The four appendixes consist of "Table of Ruling Houses," "Place Names in Imprints," "Dates at which States, Cities and Territories in Europe Adopted the Gregorian Calendar," and "Ligatures and Contractions in Renaissance Greek." The coverage of topics shows impressive range. Unfortunately, women receive too little attention in the thematic index and the dictionary entries; Christine de Pisan, for example, is absent. This volume does not attempt to compete with Scribner's Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, ed. by Paul Grendler (6v., CH, Jun'00), but it stacks up well against other single-volume dictionaries of the Renaissance. For topics such as gardens and facetiae it provides a convenient place for a first inquiry or a reminder. Summing Up: Recommended. All libraries. Copyright 2004 American Library Association. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews July #1
Campbell (Renaissance literature, Univ. of Leicester, U.K.) has written a comprehensive, one-volume dictionary of Renaissance Europe. In contrast to other cultural dictionaries, which may contain articles from a multitude of contributors, about 90 percent of the entries here are written by Campbell himself. The entries range from Aachen to Zwingli and cover all aspects of the European Renaissance, from the early 14th century in Italy to the Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618, which led to the Thirty Years War. Campbell emphasizes cultural history, though he includes science, theology, medicine, and law under this heading, and places a strong emphasis on central and eastern Europe as well as Spain. He feels that the Spanish contribution to the European Renaissance has been underrepresented in most English-language works and extends his coverage to the death of the great playwright Lope de Vega in 1635, which signaled the end of Spain's Golden Age. Campbell has written this dictionary with three audiences in mind: the academic specialist, the student, and the general reader. All three will find much to value in this highly recommended work.-Robert J. Andrews, Duluth P.L., MN Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
