The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students

new with just light shelf wear

Our fascination with medieval times is reflected in the proliferation of movies, television programs, and books on this period. Scholars have been served well by the 13-volume Dictionary of the Middle Ages (Scribner, 1982). The dense, academic prose of the DMA has been simplified, abridged, and updated into the four volumes of The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students, making its impressive scholarship available in a more accessible format.

Editor-in-chief Jordan, a professor of history at Princeton University and a contributor to the original DMA, notes that the new work is intended for middle-to high-school students. The Visual Education Corporation assisted Jordan in developing this work for this specific audience. An obvious but unspoken goal of this work is to educate students in the use of reference tools. For example, boxes often appear next to the text reminding the reader of cross-referencing and of the index at the end of volume 4.

Each of the more than 700 entries is a short essay dealing with such varied topics as angels, the fur trade, Islam, Sicily, or Vlad Tepes. As most of the essays are rewritten from the DMA, they reflect current thinking in medieval studies. In keeping with the prevailing tone of medieval scholarship, the work not only discusses people, places, and events, but also culture, society, and ideas. In this beautifully designed set, the text of the essays is on the right-hand side of the page, and the large left-hand margin is devoted to black-and-white illustrations, notes defining some terms used, references to the colorplates in the first three volumes, time lines, and interesting related asides. The covers of the volumes are also attractive. The first volume has a table of contents for the entire work, including a separate one for maps and colorplates. The index in volume 4 also is extensive, with all main entries noted in boldface. A six-page bibliography of suggested readings highlights with an asterisk works written for young readers.

The Middle Ages is a useful reference tool that is highly recommended for public and school libraries. Its readable text and attractive illustrations will appeal to middle-and high-school students.