The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature includes around 700 entries, covering the time period roughly 500 to 1500 C.E. Entries include authors, works, genres, and other literary and historical terms that inform the literature of the period. The encyclopedia targets upper-level high-school students and lower-level undergraduates. Alphabetical, cross-referenced entries are generally half a page to a page, and many are followed by bibliographies. Aids to access include a table of "Writers Covered, by Language of Composition" and an author time line. Each entry concludes with a bibliography, and a selected bibliography of more general reference works and primary and secondary sources rounds out the book. Writers from 25 languages are covered, representing a variety of African, east Asian, European, Indian subcontinent, and Middle Eastern cultures. (In contrast, the Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature, published by Greenwood in 2000, concentrates on British literature, with no entries for Chinese, Indian, and northern European literatures.) Entries on religious works and movements are included, although there are no general entries on homilies, monasteries, or the role of monks. Oddly, this volume expects students to look under Vulgate, The for an entry on the Bible. Given the inclusion of such a wide range of cultures, translation and contact feature prominently. Also covered is the influence of women writers, including entries on individual women writers and overviews on women writers from some cultures. The author is a seasoned scholar with the experience necessary for the undertaking. Expansive in breadth but still accessible, the Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature is recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries. It is an inclusive, easy-to-use volume providing a wide cross section of literature that challenges narrow views of the literature of the time.

RUUD, Jay . Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature 734p. Tr $75. ISBN 0-8160-5497-5 . LC 2004031066. ea vol: bibliog. chron. index. CIP. Facts On File 2005. Gr 1-0 Up Both volumes begin with an overview of the era, followed by alphabetical entries offering information on authors, works, places, events, and terminology. Most of the entries provide dates, additional names, and a bibliography; some also contain brief quotations from the works. Renaissance spans the years between 1500 and 1700 and covers works in many European and Asian languages as well as a few African languages. Individuals featured include Giovanni Boccaccio, John Bunyan, John Calvin, Nicolaus Copernicus, John Dryden, and Edmund Spenser. Medieval examines the period between Classical Antiquity and the Renaissance and provides information on Old English, Middle English, French, Provençal, Celtic, German, Old Norse, and Latin works under such headings as Beowulf , Geoffrey Chaucer, Dante Alighieri, Sir Thomas Malory, Peasants Revolt of 1381, and troubadours. Both volumes discuss the importance of religion, language, history, the origins of the works, oral traditions, the beginnings of printing, and other influences. Time lines, lists of writers by language, and selected bibliographies are found in both volumes. While these books cover the works most studied in advanced high school courses, they also include a wealth of information about the lesser-known literature. Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA