The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance: Print and e-reference editions available

The word 'renaissance', French for 'rebirth', perfectly describes the intellectual and cultural revival experienced in Europe, starting early in the 14th century and ending early in the 17th century. The Renaissance was a period of intense activity, the fruits of which have had a profound impact on the intellectual history and culture of the whole of Europe and the wider world. Even in the Europe of today there is still much evidence of the enduring influence of the Renaissance - in thought and society as well as in art, architecture, literature, and science. Gordon Campbell, himself the epitome of the Renaissance man, with the help of his team of distinguished consultant and advisory editors, has created a unique new A-Z reference surveying all aspects of the Renaissance in Europe beginning in 1415 and ending at 1618. These dates were not chosen arbitrarily: as well as the year of the battle of Agincourt, 1415 was the year in which Jan Hus was burnt at the stake, his reforming zeal becoming a signal which was to shape the course of European affairs for centuries; 1618 marked the onset of the Thirty Years War, a conflict which sparked yet another new direction for European history. There are about 4,000 A-Z entries in the text, ranging in length from the very short and concise to the longer and more detailed. These entries cover a wide spectrum of topics from art to philosophy, from religion to economics. Over half of the entries are biographical, covering figures from artists, architects, and mystics to philosophers, explorers, and royalty. The text covers a wide geographical area including all of modern Europe (plus Eastern Europe) except for areas occupied by the Ottomans. The book will be highly illustrated with 100 black-and-white integrated pictures. The main text is also supplemented with four appendices and a thematic index, and is available in print and as an e-reference text from Oxford's Digital Reference Shelf.