Looking for World History Encyclopedias

Specialized encyclopedias provide an overview of the most important facets of a topic, as well as a concise list of recommended readings. The University of Oregon Libraries have scores of encyclopedias. This guide lists select titles by geographic region. Unless otherwise noted, each of the encyclopedias listed here includes articles signed by experts in the field and citations for further reading. All are located in the KNIGHT LIBRARY REFERENCE collection. Additional locations are noted.

Don't forget to use the index to find additional articles related to your subject. After reading the articles search for these authors and publications in the library catalog to find out more about your topic. Browse the shelves in the same call number range for other relevant reference books.

Research guides are available for history and other subject areas. Think about other subject areas that your topic-religious studies, women's studies, anthropology, art history, etc.-might fall under and browse the research guide for addtional resources. Return to guide to Research in World History or Research in U.S. History.

Off-campus access to some of the electronic resources listed on this page is limited to current UO students, faculty, and staff and is indicated by a UO button .

African History

Encyclopedia of precolonial Africa: archaeology, history, languages, cultures, and environments	e-book ; print REF KNIGHT DT2 .E53 1997
Dictionary of African Biography	REF KNIGHT DT18 .D55, 3 volumes
Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History	REF KNIGHT DT29 .E53 2003
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt	REF KNIGHT DT58 .O94 2001, 3 volumes
Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara	REF KNIGHT DT351 .E53 1997, 4 volumes
Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa	REF KNIGHT DT729 .S7, 10 volumes
See also African History Research Guide

Browse nearby shelves for books on specific countries or search the library catalog by Title for African historical dictionaries to find a list of historical dictionaries some of which are available online to UO students, faculty & staff. Note: these dictionaries are not as thorough as those listed above.

Asian History

East Asia

South Asia

Southeast Asia

Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social & Military History	REF KNIGHT DS557.7 .E53 1998
Historical Dictionary of Malaysia Brief unsigned articles, extensive final bibliography	e-book; REF KNIGHT DS596 .K36 1993
Indonesian Heritage Unsigned articles, many images, extensive final bibliography	REF KNIGHT DS615 .I532x 1996, 10 volumes
Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People	REF KNIGHT DS668 .K37 1998, 10 volumes

European History

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Latin American & Carribean History

Middle Eastern History

North American History

Oceanian & Australian History

More Encyclopedias

You can also find encyclopedias and subject dictionaries by doing a Subject Headings search in the UO Libraries Catalog. Enter the broad subject area you are interested in, followed by the subheading encyclopedias or dictionaries.