An authoritative and extensive resource for British and Irish history Quickly access basic information on the history of the British Isles from this reliable resource. A Dictionary of British and Irish History provides concise information covering all periods of prehistory and history for every part of the British Isles. Within this one book, you’ll find summary accounts of events, biographies, definitions of terms, and far more. Using alphabetically organized headwords, readers will easily locate the content and details they seek. A Dictionary of British and Irish History not only serves as a reference tool, but also stimulates broader learning. Entries are interrelated and cross-referenced to help you expand your knowledge of different areas of history. Discover comparable entries on England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales See overviews of major topics and historical events Get facts instantly or browse entries Use the Dictionary as an information source or a launch point for expanding knowledge This reference book will become an essential resource for students of British and Irish history as well as for professionals, journalists, teachers, and those who use historical information in their work. Further, anyone wanting to establish the basics of the history of the British Isles will find this a valuable addition to their library.

When was the first motorway opened? What did the Levellers believe in? What was the book of sports? Where did the Rebecca riots take place? What prompted the Cat and Mouse Act? How long did the Hundred Years War last? When was the treaty of Worms for?Drawing on from the highly acclaimed Oxford Companion to British History, published in 1997, The Dictionary of British History published in the very popular OPR series first in 2001 and now reissued for 2003 is a handy and invaluable reference work essential for anyone with an interest in British history and in need for a compact reference source.

During the 17th century the British Isles were trapped in a 23-year-long state of turmoil through civil war, continued rebellion, and revolutions. King Charles I wanted to instill a new uniform religious policy throughout the British Isles, and this caused a massive uproar over the King's policies toward the diverse people in his kingdom, the English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. Through a concise historical chronology and comprehensive overview, users of the Historical Dictionary of the British and Irish Civil Wars will find a very insightful explanation of the people, places, and events that indelibly shaped the United Kingdom's 17th-century history. The cross-listed dictionary entries offer a complete explanation of each important aspect of the Civil Wars and their effect on the kingdom. Also includes maps and a bibliography.

This dictionary identifies over 6000 British and Irish travellers who toured in Italy in the 18th century. Compiled from the archive accumulted by Sir Brinsley Ford, it provides brief formal biographies of these travellers, their Italian itineries and selective accounts of their experiences.

The first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland 1714-1820 This biographical dictionary of engravers working on copper encompasses both those who produced fine art prints, and also those who engraved book illustrations for medical, technical and literary works, all of which played a more important part than is usually realised in spreading information in the age of Enlightenment. Some 3,000 biographical entries draw on much unpublished information, researched over four decades, notably records of apprenticeship, genealogy, insurance and bankruptcy as well as newspaper advertisements and contemporary accounts. This is the first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland 1714-1820. Many biographical entries describe celebrated engravers producing "fine art" prints of paintings, which spread knowledge about living and dead artists. However, this book also builds up a more complex picture of the occupation of printmaking and includes engravers, many previously unresearched, who engraved ephemeral material, such as trade cards, bank notes, and satirical prints as well as the images that spread knowledge across literary, geographical, historical, topographical, medical and technical fields.

Containing entries for more than 45,000 English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish, and immigrant surnames, The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland is the ultimate reference work on family names of the UK. The Dictionary includes every surname that currently has more than 100 bearers. Each entry contains lists of variant spellings of the name, an explanation of its origins (including the etymology), lists of early bearers showing evidence for formation and continuity from the date of formation down to the 19th century, geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes, making this a fully comprehensive work on family names. This authoritative guide also includes an introductory essay explaining the historical background, formation, and typology of surnames and a guide to surnames research and family history research. Additional material also includes a list of published and unpublished lists of surnames from the Middle Ages to the present day.

For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Britain was the dominant world power, its strength based in large part on its command of an Empire that, in the years immediately after World War I, encompassed almost one-quarter of the earth’s land surface and one-fifth of its population. Writers boasted that the sun never set on British possessions, which provided raw materials that, processed in British factories, could be re-exported as manufactured products to expanding colonial markets. The commercial and political might was not based on any grand strategic plan of territorial acquisition, however. The Empire grew piecemeal, shaped by the diplomatic, economic, and military circumstances of the times, and its speedy dismemberment in the mid-twentieth century was, similarly, a reaction to the realities of geopolitics in post-World War II conditions. Today the Empire has gone but it has left a legacy that remains of great significance in the modern world. The Historical Dictionary of the British Empire covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Britain.