Research Guides: Medieval History: Find Background Information

Finding Background / Reference sources

Whether you are searching for information on the Crusades or medieval weaponry, you need to find out about the events, issues, and people of that time. You'll find such information in reference sources (encyclopedias, handbooks) and also in books. Here are some places to start:

Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Includes the New Cambridge History of Medieval History.

The Crusades: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 940.18 M961) 4 vols., ABC-Clio, 2006.

Dictionary of the Middle Ages. (Ref 909.07 St82) 13 vols. New York: Scribner, 1989.

Encyclopedia of Women in the Middle Ages. (Ref 305.409 L423) Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2001.

Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Includes such titles as: Ancient Europe, 8000 BC to AD 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World, Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World, and Encyclopedia of European Social History from 1350 to 2000
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Includes Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 942.02 Sz16) New York: Garland, 1998.

Medieval France: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 944.003 K533) New York: Garland, 1995.

Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 943.02 J349) New York: Garland, 2001.

Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 946.03 G316) New York: Routledge, 2003.

Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia. (Ref 945.03 K673) 2 vols. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology. (Ref 355.09 R631). 3 vols, Oxford University, 2010.