The Facts on File Dictionary of Classical and Biblical Allusions (Facts on File Writer's Library)

Manser, Martin H.; Pickering, David

ISBN 10: 081604869X / ISBN 13: 9780816048694

Published by Checkmark Books (edition ), 2003

About this Item

It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Seller Inventory # 081604869X-11-1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Facts on File Dictionary of Classical and Biblical Allusions (Facts on File Writer's Library)
• Publisher: Checkmark Books (edition )
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 081604869X
• ISBN 13: 9780816048694
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Alphabetically arranged entries explain approximately two thousand words and expressions from the Bible and from the mythology of the Greek, Roman, and Norse cultures among others.

From Booklist

This dictionary is the latest effort by the author of, among other titles, The Facts On File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (2002) and The Facts On File Dictionary of Proverbs [RBB Mr 15 03], which are somewhat similar in format. As a companion volume to The Facts On File Dictionary of Cultural and Historical Allusions (2000), the new dictionary contains approximately 2,000 allusions drawn from the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, and Norse mythology and includes some Egyptian and Celtic examples. All allusions predate 1,000 C.E. Each entry begins with the term (followed in some cases by a pronunciation guide), focuses on an explanation, and ends with an example. About half of the examples are from literature; others are sample constructions to illustrate common usage. Biblical allusions seem to outnumber other types, and all biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.

The Facts On File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, and Literary Allusions (1987) is broader in scope but has no examples as the present volume does. Focused content and alphabetical entry by allusion are strengths of this dictionary in comparison to Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary (Gale, 1986). The latter's advantages include wider coverage, higher numbers of allusions, and access by theme. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (1999) and The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions (2001) contain more in-depth descriptions and extensive literary quotations illustrating each allusion but have many fewer classical and biblical allusions. The Facts On File Dictionary of Classical and Biblical Allusions is recommended for high-school and public libraries and academic libraries serving undergraduates. RBB
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