Key Figures in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

Selected from the eight region-based volumes in the"Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages" series, 587 signed entries provide information about primary figures in Europe between approximately 500 and 1500.

This twelfth title in the Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages series is a bit of a departure. Instead of offering new material, it reprints entries from eight of the previous titles, among them Medieval France: An Encyclopedia (1995); Medieval Jewish Civilization: An Encyclopedia (2002); and Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia (2003). As explained in the introduction, "the present volume is intended not only for students, librarians, teachers, and the general public, who may be interested in the Middle Ages but do not wish to purchase or sift through numerous individual encyclopedias, but also for medievalists and other scholars who want to have a reliable reference work easily at hand." In order "to preserve the integrity of the scholarship," none of the entries have been revised.

The 587 individuals represented here were selected based on "editorial sense of long-term importance and influence" as well as potential reader interest. Although inevitably most of the subjects are men--and men of some power, at that--an effort was made to provide balance by including figures for whom documentation is relatively sparse. Along with entries for Peter Abelard and Alfred the Great, there are entries for Dhuoda, "the only known female author of the Carolingian Renaissance," and Wiligelmus, "the first great Italian sculptor." Approximately 50 women are covered; fuller treatment of women during the period can be found in Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia. (Greenwood, 2004). In addition to the index, the volume comes with two useful finding aids: a "Thematic List of Entries" and a list of entries by region.

Although it is redundant, this encyclopedia still has many uses. It may not be essential for larger collections already owning the other titles in the series, but it's a good stand-alone tool for public and smaller academic libraries in need of a scholarly biographical resource on the Middle Ages. Mary Ellen Quinn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved