A Dictionary of British History offers more than 3,800 authoritative entries written by more than 100 specialists. Now completely revised and updated, it describes the people and events that have shaped political, social, and cultural life in Britain since 55 B.C. Here, in a miracle of compression, are articles that define Robin Hood and Gerry Adams, Black Death and Terrorism, Dunkirk and Wembley Stadium, Winston Churchill and Gordon Brown. Who was the first King of England? Who negotiated Indian independence? How long did the Hundred Years War last? All the answers can be found in this handy reference work, covering more than 2,000 years of people, events, places, and changes. This edition includes a timeline and an appendix of recommended web links that provide extra information--accessible through the Dictionary of British History companion website, where they are kept up to date.

An authoritative and extensive resource for British and Irish history Quickly access basic information on the history of the British Isles from this reliable resource. A Dictionary of British and Irish History provides concise information covering all periods of prehistory and history for every part of the British Isles. Within this one book, you’ll find summary accounts of events, biographies, definitions of terms, and far more. Using alphabetically organized headwords, readers will easily locate the content and details they seek. A Dictionary of British and Irish History not only serves as a reference tool, but also stimulates broader learning. Entries are interrelated and cross-referenced to help you expand your knowledge of different areas of history. Discover comparable entries on England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales See overviews of major topics and historical events Get facts instantly or browse entries Use the Dictionary as an information source or a launch point for expanding knowledge This reference book will become an essential resource for students of British and Irish history as well as for professionals, journalists, teachers, and those who use historical information in their work. Further, anyone wanting to establish the basics of the history of the British Isles will find this a valuable addition to their library.

For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Britain was the dominant world power, its strength based in large part on its command of an Empire that, in the years immediately after World War I, encompassed almost one-quarter of the earth’s land surface and one-fifth of its population. Writers boasted that the sun never set on British possessions, which provided raw materials that, processed in British factories, could be re-exported as manufactured products to expanding colonial markets. The commercial and political might was not based on any grand strategic plan of territorial acquisition, however. The Empire grew piecemeal, shaped by the diplomatic, economic, and military circumstances of the times, and its speedy dismemberment in the mid-twentieth century was, similarly, a reaction to the realities of geopolitics in post-World War II conditions. Today the Empire has gone but it has left a legacy that remains of great significance in the modern world. The Historical Dictionary of the British Empire covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Britain.

British cinema has been around from the very birth of motion pictures, from black-and-white to color, from talkies to sound, and now 3D, it has been making a major contribution to world cinema. Many of its actors and directors have stayed at home but others ventured abroad, like Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. Today it is still going strong, the only real competition to Hollywood, turning out films which appeal not only to Brits, just think of Bridget Jones, while busily adding to franchises like James Bond and Harry Potter. So this Historical Dictionary of British Cinema has a lot of ground to cover. This it does with over 300 dictionary entries informing us about significant actors, producers and directors, outstanding films and serials, organizations and studios, different films genres from comedy to horror, and memorable films, among other things. Two appendixes provide lists of award-winners. Meanwhile, the chronology covers over a century of history. These parts provide the details, countless details, while the introduction offers the big story. And the extensive bibliography points toward other sources of information.

The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.

A unique collection of concise but detailed information on 10,000 animals, plants, fungi and algae of the British Isles. Every species with an English common name is included. The compendium is in two parts. The first, smaller part, looks at various terms that people interested in natural history may come across. The second provides information on individual species or species groups, with entries on those with English (common) names, as well as selected families, orders, classes, etc. In the case of marine organisms, entries are given for intertidal and subtidal invertebrate species, and generally speaking for fish species that might be observed inshore. Indication is often given on distribution as well as whether a species is common, scarce or something in between. For some species a note is made of population size and trends. Comments are made where appropriate on etymology, both of the English name and the binomial. No other natural history dictionary or cognate publication relating to the British Isles is as comprehensive in taxonomic cover.

This dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. An engrossing guide to English folklore and traditions, with over 1,250 entries. Folklore is connected to virtually every aspect of life, part of the country, age group, and occupation. From the bizarre to the seemingly mundane, it is as much a feature of the modern technological age as of the ancient world. BL Oral and Performance genres-Cheese rolling, Morris dancing, Well-dressingEL BL Superstitions-Charms, Rainbows, WishbonesEL BL Characters-Cinderella, Father Christmas, Robin Hood, Dick WhittingtonEL BL Supernatural Beliefs-Devil's hoofprints, Fairy rings, Frog showersEL BL Calendar Customs-April Fool's Day, Helston Furry Day, Valentine's DayEL

In over 4,500 entries, this Companion covers all aspects of the history of Britain from 55 BC to the present day. Completely revised and updated, this is the go-to reference work for students and teachers of British history, as well as for anyone with an interest in the subject.

This book tells the history of the Oxford English Dictionary from its beginnings in the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. The author, uniquely among historians of the OED, is also a practising lexicographer with nearly thirty years' experience of working on the Dictionary. He has drawn on a wide range of sources-including previously unexamined archival material and eyewitness testimony-to create a detailed history of the project. The book explores the cultural background from which the idea of a comprehensive historical dictionary of English emerged, the lengthy struggles to bring this concept to fruition, and the development of the book from the appearance of the first printed fascicle in 1884 to the launching of the Dictionary as an online database in 2000 and beyond. It also examines the evolution of the lexicographers' working methods, and provides much information about the people-many of them remarkable individuals-who have contributed to the project over the last century and a half.

Anglo-American relations have been a crucial factor in international relations for over two centuries. For most of that time dealings between Britain and the United States have remained co-operative, cordial, and supportive. In the beginning, however, relations were confrontational and discordant: the two nations waged war against each other twice_in the War of Independence and in the War of 1812_and have often disagreed over trade, finance, and foreign policy. This volume demonstrates the changing nature of Anglo-American relations and focuses, in particular, on the strengths and fragilities of the 'special relationship' that developed in the aftermath of the WWII and continues to the present day. The Historical Dictionary of Anglo-American Relations surveys Anglo-American relations from 1607 to the present and covers key events, individuals, and issues that have played a part in its history. Through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced entries_with an emphasis on the political and economic relationship between Britain and the United States but also featuring the cultural links between the two_this comprehensive and easily accessible reference tool will delight those interested in the history of these two countries.