Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Using the Library’s Catalogs
CATNYP is the online catalog of The New York Public Library’s research collections. It is easily accessible via the World Wide Web at http://catnyp.nypl.org. For general instructions on using CATNYP, please consult Using the Library's Online Catalog. The following information is specific to the subject of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
CATNYP allows searching by author, title, keyword, and subject. A keyword search generally will yield the most comprehensive results, but a subject search may be employed as a supplementary strategy. When searching in CATNYP, the reader is advised to employ the Library of Congress subject headings, www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco
Because of the cross-disciplinary nature of this field, there are many subject headings that can be used. Some of the most salient terms, which may be employed as keyword or subject searches, are:
Middle Ages
Middle Ages History
Civilization Medieval
Medievalism
Art, Medieval
Cities and Towns, Medieval
Cookery, Medieval
Devotio Moderna
Drama, Medieval
Literature, Medieval
Women – History – Middle Ages
Feudalism
Chivalry
Crusades
Decorative Arts, Medieval
Knightsand Knighthood
Gardens, Medieval
Philosophy, Medieval
Renaissance
Architecture, Renaissance
Art, Renaissance
Decorative Arts, Renaissance
Ethics, Renaissance
European Fiction – Renaissance
Gardens, Renaissance
European Literature – Renaissance
Painting, Renaissance
Philosophy, Renaissance
To research the history of a country or region, it is recommended that the words history and medieval period follow the geographic description. For example, France – History – Medieval Period. In addition, one can search by using the appropriate century, as in France – History – Thirteenth Century. Finally, researchers interested in studying a given century without a specific geographical reference, can employ the century in a simple subject or keyword approach, as in Twelfth Century. Please note the following examples which can be employed as subject or keyword searches:
Italy History Medieval Period
England History Fourteenth Century
Eleventh Century
In contrast to the more specific subject approach, a keyword search, which links keywords from titles and/or subjects, will generally retrieve more items, though many of them may not be relevant. A researcher on English church history, for example, can employ the keyword search of Anglo-Saxon and church to bring up titles in that area. Those seeking information on women in Renaissance Italy might employ a keyword search such as women and Renaissance and Italy; a narrower approach might utilize women and Renaissance and Florence. When performing a keyword search, it is essential to use the conjunction "and" between each term:
Anglo-Saxon and church
Women and Renaissance and Italy
Women and Renaissance and Florence
The results of a keyword search will also provide the appropriate subject headings for each title; the researcher can then perform a subject search, if desired.
The Dictionary Catalog contains materials acquired prior to 1972; although the vast majority of these entries are now in CATNYP, it is recommended that the Dictionary Catalog be consulted for those items which are not found in the electronic catalog. The Dictionary Catalog is arranged primarily by author and subject, with title listings generally limited to works of fiction; please ask a librarian for assistance in determining the appropriate subject headings employed in this resource.
In the bibliography which follows, the call numbers for most items refer to the Rose Main Reading Room, the principal reading room for the Library; the linked floor plan supplies a guide to the location of these call numbers.
Encyclopedias | Dictionaries | Atlases | Handbooks and Guides
Encyclopedias
Medieval
Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: Concepts and Terms (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986) *R-RMRR CR4505 .B76
Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: People, Places, and Events (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988) *R-RMRR CR4505 .B76.
Dictionary of the Middle Ages, edited by Joseph R. Strayer, (New York: Scribner, 1982-1989), 13 vols.
*R-RMRR D114 .D5. Substantive articles with bibliographies; index is in the last volume.
Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature, edited by Robert Lambdin and Laura Lambdin (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000) *R-RMRR PN669 .E53.
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Andre Vauchez et al. (Cambridge, Eng.: J. Clarke, 2000; Paris: Cerf, 2000), 2 vols. *R-RMRR CB351 .D5413. This is also available electronically.
Scholarly essays on people, events, themes, movements, and ideologies of the medieval period.
The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Norman F. Cantor et al. (New York: Viking, 1999) *R-RMRR D114 .E53.
Favier, Jean. Dictionnaire de la France médiévale (Paris: Fayard, 1993) *R-RMRR DC60 .6 .F38.
Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs, (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2000), 2 vols. *R-RMRR GR35 .M43.
Renaissance
Dictionnaire de la Renaissance (Paris: Encyclopaedia Universalis; Albin Michel, 1998) JFD 00-6623.
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, Paul F. Grendler, editor-in-chief (New York: Scribner’s, published in association with the Renaissance Society of America, 1999), 6 vols., *R-RMRR CB361 .E52.
Detailed, scholarly articles on all aspects of the age of the Renaissance.
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, Thomas G. Bergin, consulting editor, and Jennifer Speake, general editor (New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987) *R-RMRR CB361 .B43
Brief entries on the Renaissance, with a particular focus on personalities.
The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance David Rundle, general editor (Oxford: Helicon, 1999) *R-RMRR CB361 .H87x.
Short, concise articles on significant elements of the Renaissance.
Munkler, Herfried. Lexikon der Renaissance (Munchen: Beck, 2000) JFD 02-585.
Dictionaries
Adams, Ian H. Agrarian Landscape Terms: A Glossary for Historical Geography (London: Institute of British Geographers, 1976) L-11 3172 no. 9.
Bonnassie, Pierre. Les cinquante mots clefs de l’histoire médiévale (Toulouse: Privat, 1981)
JFD 83-192.
Bosworth, Joseph. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (London: Oxford University Press, 1972) Reprint of the 1898 edition. *R-RMRR PE279 .B5.
Brumble, H. David. Classical Myths and Legends in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: A Dictionary of Allegorical Meanings (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998) JFE 98-4789.
Dahmus, Joseph Henry. Dictionary of Medieval Civilization (New York: Macmillan, 1984)
*R-RMRR CB351 .D24.
Dictionary of the History of Ideas; Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas,edited by Philip P. Wiener (New York: Scribner, 1973-1974), 5 vols. *R-RMRR CB5 .D52. Examine the index in volume 5 under the Middle Ages for appropriate references; included are such topics as individualism, perfectibility, syncretism, and universe.
Gerhards, Agnès. Dictionnaire historique des orders religieux (Paris: Fayard, 1998) JFE 98-12885.
Gerhards, Agnès. La société médiévale (Paris: MA editions, 1986) JFC 88-1614.
LeGoff, Jacques. Dictionnaire raisonné de l’Occident médiéval (Paris: Fayard, 1999) *R-RMRR CB351 .L414.
Lexikon de Mittelalters Bd. 1-9 in progress (Munchen; Zurich: Artemis-Verlag, 1977- ) JFM 80-36.
Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), 3 vols.
*R-RMRR DF521 .O93 and *O-*OPN 92-14088.
Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), 20 vols. *R-RMRR PE1625. O87. An indispensable tool for etymology, supplying spelling, definition, usage, and changes in meaning for words. Also available electronically.
Riché, Pierre. Dictionnaire des Francs: les Carolingiens (Etrepilly: Bartillat, 1997) JFD 98-563.
Riché, Pierre. Dictionnaire des Francs: les temps Mérovingiens (Etrepilly: Bartillat, 1996) JFD 97-287.
Robert, Paul. Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la lingue française, 2nd ed. (Paris: Dictionnaires Le Robert, 2001), 6 vols. *R-RMRR PC2625 .R552. (For other editions, check CATNYP.) Historical and etymological dictionary of the French language which includes the medieval and Renaissance eras.
Thesaurus linguae Latinae (Lipsiae: In aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1900- ), in progress
*R-RMRR PA2361 .T4. The most comprehensive dictionary for the Latin language, similar in scope to “The Oxford English Dictionary.” Useful for its coverage of Latin vocabulary in the medieval period. Also available electronically.
Vocabulaire historique du Moyen Âge: Occident, Byzance, Islam 3rd ed. (Paris: La Boutique de l’histoire, 2000) JFE 01-7953.
Weijers, Olga. Dictionnaires et répertoires au Moyen Âge: une étude de vocabulaire (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 1991) JFF 92-1711.
Atlases
Atlas of Medieval Europe, 2nd ed., edited by Angus Mackay, Simon MacLean, and David Ditchburn. (London; New York: Routledge, 2007) Map Div. 07-4172.
The Atlas of the Crusades, edited by Jonathan Riley-Smith (New York: Facts on File, 1991) Map Div. 91-4709.
Atlas of the Renaissance (London: Cassell, 1993) JFG 93-890.
Atlas of the World in the Middle Ages (London: Longman, 1980) JFG 83-85.
Haywood, John. The Cassell Atlas of the Medieval World, A.D. 600-1492 (London: Cassell, 1998) Map Div. + 99-4403. b5657181
Hill, David. An Atlas of Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford: Blackwell, 1981) Map Div. 83-384.
McKitterick, Rosamond. Times Medieval World (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004) Map Div. 05-827 and JFF 05-959.
Handbooks and Guides
Caenegem, R.C.van. Guide to the Sources of Medieval History (Amsterdam; New York: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978) *R-RMRR D117 .C25.
This standard work includes sections on the typology of sources, archives and libraries, reference works for the study of medieval texts and bibliographies salient to the discipline .
Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Humanism, edited by Jill Kraye (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996) JFE 96-8230.
A collection of essays relating the advent of humanism with the literature, scholarship, and thought of the Renaissance.
Cheney, C. R. Handbook of Dates for Students of English History (London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society, 1945) JFD 94-6244.
A useful work which discusses the calendar, variations in the beginning of the year, saints’ days, and legal chronology.
Davis, Charles Till, comp. Sources of Medieval History (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967), 2 vols. E-13 630. A selection of texts illuminating medieval history and culture, with appropriate introductions.
Davis, R.H.C. Medieval European History 395-1500, 2nd ed. (London: The Historical Association, 1968) D-19 3858.
A succinct introduction to the field, with a superb, albeit somewhat dated, bibliography arranged by subject and geographical area.
Fletcher, Stella. The Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe, 1390-1530 (Harlow, England; New York: Longman, 2000) *R-RMRR D203 .F58.
Useful for its dynastic listings, chronologies, and description of the systems of commerce and types of currencies.
Hampson, Robert T. Medii aevi kalendarium; or Dates, charters, and customs of the middle ages; with kalendars from the tenth to the fifteenth century; and an alphabetical digest of obsolete names of days; forming a glossary of the dates of the middle ages; with tables and other aids for ascertaining dates (London: H.K. Causton, 1841), 2 vols. BTH.
A superb introduction to the questions of chronology and dating in the Middle Ages, complemented by a thorough examination of holy days and other observances and the ceremonies and customs attendant upon them. Volume two provides a glossary of terms and concepts (e.g., Lammas Day with an examination of its origins, meanings, and events associated with that day).
Identifier sources et citations, edited by Jacques Berlioz and others (Turnhout: Brepols, 1994)
JFE 95-4929 A useful tool for determining sources in medieval writings; arranged by subjects (e.g., liturgy, law, literature, etc.) with extensive bibliographies and historical explanations.
Labarte, Jules. Handbook of the arts of the middle ages and renaissance as applied to the decoration of furniture, arms, jewels, &c. (London: J Murray, 1855). MNC (Labarte J., Handbook of the arts).
Meyer, Otto. Clavis mediaevalis (Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz, 1962) C-12 4079.
A handbook of significant terms and concepts for the student of medieval history.
Medieval Studies: An Introduction, edited by James M. Powell, 2nd ed. (New York: Syracuse University Press, 1992) JFE 96-13262.
Essays by scholars on different areas and topics of medieval studies; extensive bibliographies included.
Pullan, Brian S., comp. Sources for the History of Medieval Europe from the Mid-Eighth to the Mid-Thirteenth Century (Oxford: Blackwell, 1966) JFD 95-7867 An anthology of medieval documents and writings.
Storey, R.L. Chronology of the Medieval World: 800 to 1491 (Oxford: Helicon, 1994) *R-RMRR D118 .S85.
Chronological arrangement of notable events, complemented by contemporary developments in literature, philosophy, scholarship, religion, and cognate areas.
Williams, Neville. Chronology of the Expanding World, 1492 to 1762 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994) JFF 01-271.
Arranged by year, this includes not only significant dates but also notable trends in politics, science, literature, and the arts.
Histories
General Histories | Regional and Specialized Histories
General Histories
The Age of the Renaissance, texts by Nicolai Rubinstein and others, edited by Denys Hay (London: Thames and Hudson, 1986) JFF 86-1270.
Scholarly essays on the rise of humanism, the spread of the Renaissance outside Florence, art, scholarship, and cognate subjects.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages, edited by Robert Fossier (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986-1997) *R-RMRR CB351 .M7813. Essays by scholars on the significant developments in the medieval world.
Cantor, Norman F. The Civilization of the Middle Ages: A Completely Revised and Expanded Edition of Medieval History, the Life and Death of a Civilization (New York: HarperCollins, 1993)
*R-RMRR CB351 .C24.
An examination of the intellectual, political, and social life of the Middle Ages.
Collins, Roger. Early Medieval Europe 300-1000, 2nd ed. (Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan Press; New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999) *R-RMRR D121 .C65.
Daily Life in the Late Middle Ages, edited by Richard Britnell (Stroud: Sutton, 1998) *R-RMRR DA185 .D15.
Includes sections on religion, artisans and guilds, dress and fashions, etc.
Davis, R.H.C. (Ralph Henry Carless) A History of Medieval Europe, third ed. (Harlow, England; New York: Pearson Longman, 2006) *R-RMRR D118 .D29.
Hale, John R. The Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance (London: HarperCollins, 1993) *R-RMRR CB367 .H35 1993b. An examination of the motifs and themes of this period for the advanced student.
Kerrigan, William. The Idea of the Renaissance (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989)
JFE 89-1720.
Commencing with a study of Burckhardt’s analysis of the Renaissance, this work also examines the literature and philosophy of the period.
Mee, Charles L. The Horizon Book of Daily Life in Renaissance Italy (New York: American Heritage Pub. Co., 1975) JFF 76-626.
Discusses such topics as scholarship, art, religion, domestic life, and the role of women.
The New Cambridge Medieval History, edited by Rosamond McKitterick, David Abulafia et al. (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995-2005), 7 vols. *R-RMRR D117 .N48. The standard reference work in this discipline, covering the political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural, and religious life of the medieval period.
Nicholas, David. The Evolution of the Medieval World: Society, Government, and Thought in Europe, 312-1500 (London; New York: Longman, 1992) *R-RMRR D117 .N5. A study of the social and economic aspects of medieval civilization and the links of same with the ideological, religious, political, and cultural emphases of the period.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe edited by George Holmes (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2001) JFD 02- 23163. b7169741 Earlier edition (1988) under
*R-RMRR D102 .O94.
Painter, Sidney. A History of the Middle Ages: 284-1500 (New York: Knopf, 1953) E-11 1407.
The Panorama of the Renaissance,edited by Margaret Aston (London: Thames and Hudson, 1996)
JFF 96-6731.
A profusely illustrated work analyzing the main themes of the Renaissance; biographical dictionary, timelines, glossary, and bibliography are included.
Singman, Jeffrey L. Daily Life in Medieval Europe (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999)
JFE 99-13782. Discusses material culture, the life cycle, village and town life, and other subjects.
Southern, Richard W. The Making of the Middle Ages (London; New York: Hutchinson’s University Library, 1953) JFE 97-10482.
Wallace-Hadrill, J. M. (John Michael) The Barbarian West, 400-1000, rev. ed. (Oxford; Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell, 1966) JFE 97-10960.
Regional and Specialized
Armstrong, Arthur H.
The Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy(London: Cambridge University Press, 1967)
*R-RMRR B171 .A79.Bitel, Lisa M.,
Women in Early Medieval Europe, 400-1100(Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002)
JFD 03-436.Cambridge Companion to Medieval Philosophy,
edited by Arthur S. McGrade (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003)
*R-RMRR B720 .C36.Cambridge Companion to Medieval Women’s Writing
, edited by Carolyn and Dinshaw and David Wallace (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003)
*R-RMRR PN682 .W6 C36.Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy,
edited by James Hankins (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007)
JFE 08-865.The Cambridge History of Later Medieval Philosophy: From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Disintegration of Scholasticism, 1100-1600, edited by Norman Kretzmann and others (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982) *R-RMRR B721 .C35.
The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature, edited by David Wallace (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999) *R-RMRR PR255 .C35.
The Cambridge History of Medieval Political Thought, c. 350 – c. 1450, edited by J.H. Burns (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988) *R-RMRR JA82 .C27.
Cambridge History of the Bible (Cambridge: University Press, 1963-1970), 3 vols.
*R-RMRR BS445 .C26. Volume 2 discusses the Bible in the medieval period.
Chamberlin, Eric Russell. Everyday Life in Renaissance Times (New York: Putnam, 1969) JFD 73-2342.
Cohen, Elizabeth Storr. Daily Life in Renaissance Italy (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001)
JFE 01-15832.
Coleman, Janet. A History of Political Thought: From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (Malden, Mass.; Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2000) *R-RMRR JA81 .C615.
A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c1350– c.1500, edited by Peter Brown (Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2007) *R-RMRR PR255 .C653.
Copleston, Frederick Charles. A History of Medieval Philosophy (London: Methuen, 1972)
*R-RMRR B721 .C57 b1070759 and JFD 72-8838.
Copenhaven, Brian P. Renaissance Philosophy (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1992)
JFD 01-14648.Arranged according to the master schools of Renaissance philosophy, this study examines all the major philosophers of the period.
The Crusades: An Encyclopedia, edited by Alan V. Murray (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006), 4 vols. *R-RMRR D155 .C78.
Daly, Lowrie. The Medieval University, 1200-1400 (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1961) D-13 7705.
A discussion of the medieval universities, their students, faculty, organization, and curricula
Dronke, Peter. Women Writers of the Middle Ages (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984) JFE 85-3697. A critical and historical study offemale writers from Perpetua to Marguerite Porete.
Dyer, Christopher. Everyday Life in Medieval England (London; Rio Grande, Ohio: Hambledon Press, 1994) JFE 96-8410.
Fossier, Robert. L’histoire économique et sociale du Moyen Age occidental: questions, sources, documents commentés (Turnhout: Brepols, 1999) JFE 01-15205.
Gilson, Etienne. History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages (New York: Random House, 1955) *R-RMRR B72 .G48.
Gilson, Etienne. The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy (New York: Scribner’s, 1940) *R-RMRR B721 .G433 1936a b5183182 and JFD 70-646.
Haverkamp, Alfred. Medieval Germany, 1056-1273, 2nd ed. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1992) JFD 92-2206. b2359763 Earlier edition (1988) under *R-RMRR DD126 .H3813.
Hunter Blair, Peter.
An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England, 3
rded. (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003)
*R-RMRR DA152.2 .H86.Lawrence, Clifford H.
Medieval Monasticism: Forms of Religious Life in Western Europe in the Middle Ages,3
rded. (New York: Longman, 2001)
JFE 01-4782.An examination of the monastic life, including analyses of the desert fathers, the Benedictine life, the Cluniac and Cistercian movements, female religious, and the rise of the friars
.
Lewis, C. S.
The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature(Cambridge: University Press, 1964)
D-15 3037.Literature of the French and Occitan Middle Ages: Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries
, edited by Deborah Sinnreich-Levi and Ian S. Laurie (Detroit: Gale Group, 1999)
*R-RMRR PN451 .D53 1978 vol. 208.This is a volume within
The Dictionary of Literary Biography.Lucas-Dubreton, Jean. Daily Life in Florence in the Time of the Medici (New York: Macmillan, 1961)
D-13 4288.
Manchester, William R. A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance (London: Macmillan, 1993) JFD 94-25425.
A popular examination of the metamorphosis of medieval Europe into Renaissance Europe
Marenbon, John.
Medieval Philosophy: An Historical and Philosophical Introduction(London; New York: Routledge, 2007)
JFE 07-1968.Marques, Antonio Henrique R. de Oliveira. Daily Life in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1971) JFE 72-73.
Medieval England: An Encyclopedia, edited by Paul E. Szarmach et al. (New York; London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998) JFF 99-1350.
Medieval English Literature, 2nd ed., edited by J.B. Trapp et al. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002) JFE 03-3723.
Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, edited by William Kibler et al. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995)
*R-RMRR DC33.2 .M44 and JFF 07-922 and JMF 97-293.
Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia, edited by John M. Jeep (New York: Garland Pub., 2001)
*R-RMRR DD157 .M43.
Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia, edited by E. Michael Gerli et al. (New York: Routledge, 2003)
*R-RMRR DP99 .M33.
Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia, edited by Sean Duffy et al. (New York: Routledge, 2005)
*R-RMRR DA933 .M43.
Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia, edited by Christopher Kleinhenz (New York: Routledge, 2004), 2 vols., *R-RMRR DG443 .M43.
Medieval Scandinavia: An Encyclopedia, edited by Phillip Pulsiano (New York: Garland, 1992)
*R-RMRR DL30 .M43.
Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia, edited by Thomas F. Glick et al. (New York: Routledge, 2005) *R-RMRR Q124.97 .M43.
Nauert, Charles G. Humanism and the Culture of Renaissance Europe (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995) JFE 95-18168. A comprehensiveaccount of the development and significance of the Renaissance in both northern and southern Europe.
The Oxford History of England, 2nd ed., edited by George Clark. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1934-1965), 15 vols., *R-RMRR DA145 .C583. Volumes 2 through 6 cover the medieval period.
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades, edited by Jonathan Riley-Smith (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1995) JFF 95-6286.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England, edited by Nigel Saul (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) JFE 97-7870.
Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition; A History of the Development of Doctrine (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971-1989), 5 vols. *R-RMRR BT21.2 .P42. Volumes 2, 3, and 4 are relevant to the medieval period.
Rebhorn, Wayne A. The Emperor of Men’s Minds: Literature and the Renaissance Discourse of Rhetoric (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995) JFE 95-5910. An analysis of the distinctive nature of rhetoric in the Renaissance and its relation to the political and social concerns of the period
Riche, Pierre. Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978) JFE 79-642.
Rogers, Shannon L. All Things Chaucer: An Encyclopedia of Chaucer’s World (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2007), 2 vols., *R-RMRR PR1903 .R55.
Rowling, Marjorie. Everyday Life of Medieval Travellers (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1971)
D-20 7250
Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades (Cambridge: University Press, 1952-1954), 3 vols.
*R-RMRR D161.2 .R862. Another edition is located under D-12 527.
Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Witchcraft in the Middle Ages (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1972)
JFD 94-3869.
Singman, Jeffrey L. Daily Life in Chaucer’s England (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995)
JFE 96-400.
Ullmann, Walter. A History of Political Thought: the Middle Ages (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1965)
JLC 88-145.
Ullmann, Walter. The Individual and Society in the Middle Ages (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1966)
D-17 2781. Discussion of the role of the individual in feudalsociety.
Ward, Jennifer C. Women in Medieval Europe, 1200-1500 (London; New York: Longman, 2002)
JFE 03-2908
Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia, edited by Margaret Schaus ( New York: Routledge, 2006) JFF 06-3534.
Women in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe, edited by Christine Meek (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000) JFE 01-1691.
Zink, Michel. Littérature française du Moyen Age, 2nd ed., (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2001) JFD 02-1740.
Bibliographies and Source Materials
General
Annual Bibliography of British and Irish History / Royal Historical Society (Brighton, Sussex: Harvester Press) Library has 1981 – 2002, *R-RMRR DA30 .A55.
Each volume has a section on medieval history.
Bibliographie de l’histoire médiévale en France (1965-1990) (Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne, 1992) JFE 93-5928.
A Bibliography of English History to 1485. Based on the Sources and Literature of English History from the Earliest Times to about 1485, by Charles Gross, edited by Edgar B. Graves (Oxford: Clarendon, 1975) *R-RMRR DA130 .B52.
Chevalier, Ulysse. Répertoire des sources historique du Moyen Ăge: Bio-bibliographie (New York: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1959) Reprint of 1894-1903 ed., 2 vols. *R-RMRR D116 .C448 P4.The bio-bibliography is arranged alphabetically by name, with references to sources and aids.
Chevalier, Ulysse. Répertoire des sources historique du Moyen Ăge: Topobibliographie (New York: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1959) Reprint of 1894-1903 ed., 2 vols. *R-RMRR D116 .C448 P4. This companion work is arranged by subject and geographical location, with references to sources and aids.
Crosby, Everett Uberto, C. Julian Bishko, and Robert L. Kellogg. Medieval Studies: A Bibliographical Guide. (New York: Garland Pub., 1983) *R-RMRR CB351 .C76.
Annotated bibliography arranged primarily by topic and geographical location.
Corpus Christianorum. Continuatio Mediaevalis. (Turnholti: Typographi Brepols Editores Pontificii, 1971- )
This is the medieval continuation of a series which provides definitive texts of Christian authors. For the appropriate call number of a given work, please check under the name of the author in CATNYP.
Farrar, Clarissa Palmer. Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources (New York: Columbia University Press, 1946) *R-RMRR PN667 .A12 F38, b5160866 supplemented by Ferguson, Mary Anne. Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources, 1943-1967 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1974) *R-RMRR PR251 .F47.
Heit, Alfred, and Ernst Voltmer. Bibliographie zur geschichte des Mittelalters (Munchen: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1997) JFD 98-612.
Henderson, Ernest F. Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ages (London: G. Bell, 1892; reprint New York: AMS Press, 1968) *R-RMRR D113 .H49. Major documents such as the Salic Law, the Rule of St. Benedict, and Unam Sanctam.
International Medieval Bibliography (Leeds, England: University of Leeds, 1967- ) Latest five years in *R-RMRR D117 .I63; earlier years in M-11 4394.
Arranged primarily by topic with author and general indexes.
Paetow, Louis John. A Guide to the Study of Medieval History, rev. ed. (Millwood, NY: Kraus reprint, 1959 reprint of 1931 edition) *R-RMRR D117.X1 P34 Includes general bibliographies arranged by subject and place (e.g., economic history, medieval Scandinavia, collections of original sources). b5155188 Supplemented by Boyce, Gray Cowan. Literature of Medieval History, 1930-1975: A Supplement to Louis John Paetow’s “A Guide to the Study of Medieval History” (Millwood, NY: Kraus International Publications, 1981), 5 vols. *R-RMRR D117 .P25 1980 suppl.
Potthast, August. Bibliotheca historica medii aevi (Berlin: W. Weber, 1896), 2 vols. JFF 99-2672 and BTH.
A late nineteenth-century attempt to provide a comprehensive bibliography on medieval history. The various sections include a list of collections of sources, lists of texts with authors and familiar titles and the locations and various editions of same, and lists of sources (by title and by date) arranged by country . It is updated by the following citation:
Repertorium fonium historiae Medii Aevi; primum ab Augusto Potthast digestum, nunc cura college historicorum e pluribus nationibus emendatum et auctum (Romae: Instituto storico italiano per il Medio Evo, 1962- ) *R-RMRR D117 .R 43. Library has vols. 1 through 11 of this active series.
Toronto Medieval Bibliographies (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1967- )
Individual volumes are catalogued separately; to obtain the appropriate call number, search CATNYP under the author or title of the work or under Toronto Medieval Bibliographies for a complete listing of all titles in this series.
Specialized
Acta sanctorum quotquot toto orbe coluntur …64 vols. in 67 (Antverpiae [Antwerp]: J. Meurisum, 1643-1932)
ZDK++Contains biographies of the saints, including their writings and commentaries on same; arranged by feast day of the saint
.
Bak, Janos M. Medieval Narrative Sources: A Chronological Guide, with a List of Major Letter Collections (New York: Garland Pub., 1987) JFF 87-874.
The English Renaissance: An Anthology of Sources and Documents, edited by Kate Aughterson (London; New York: Routledge, 1998) JFE 99-7201.
Friedman, John Block. Medieval Iconography: A Research Guide (New York: Garland Pub., 1998)
*R-Art NX 449. F75
Keynes, Simon. Anglo-Saxon History: A Select Bibliography 3rd ed. (Kalamazoo, Mich.: The Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies, 1998)
JFE 99-14759.
Kohl, Benjamin G. Renaissance Humanism, 1300-1550: A Bibliography of Materials in English (New York: Garland Pub. Co., 1985) JFD 85-8330.
Medieval Women and the Sources of Medieval History, edited by Joel T. Rosenthal (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1990) JFE 90-7339.
Medieval Women Writers, edited by Katharina M. Wilson (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1984) JFE 84-1388.
Sheehan, Michael M. Domestic Society in Medieval Europe: A Select Bibliography (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 1990) JFD 91-6442.
Wilkinson, Bertie. The High Middle Ages in England, 1154-1377 (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1978) *R-RMRR DA205 .W54.
Biographical Resources
In addition to the specialized works listed below, please consult the general biographical dictionaries for the countries of western Europe; these works normally include many figures of the medieval period, and are located in the Rose Main Reading Room. The principal ones are:
- Biographie universelle ancienne et moderne
- The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Dictionnaire de biographie française
- Dizionario biografico degli Italiani
- Allgemeine deutsche biographie
- Neue deutsche biographie.
The Annotated Index of Medieval Women, by Anne Echols and Marty Williams (New York: M. Wiener Pub., 1992) *R-RMRR CT3220 .A56.
Bibliotheca sanctorum 12 vols. and separate index volume (Roma: Istituto Giovanni XXIII, 1961-1969) JFF 98-1511. Biographical dictionary of the saints.
Butler, Alban. Butler’s Lives of the Saints. (Collegeville, MN: Liiturgical Press; Tunbridge Wells: Burns and Oates, 1995-2000), 12 vols. *R-RMRR BX4654 .B8. (For other editions, please check CATNYP.)
Checksfield, Muriel May. Portraits of Renaissance Life and Thought (London: Longmans, 1964)
D-15 5801.
Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Renaissance World: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Carole Levin and others (Westport, Conn.; London: Greenwood Press, 2000) JFE 00-16731.
Kelly, J.N.D. The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, rev. ed. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005) *R-RMRR BX955.2 .K45.
The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Clayton J. Drees (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001) *R-RMRR CB353 .L38.
Renaissance and Reformation, 1500-1620: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Jo Eldridge Carney (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001) *R-RMRR CT759 .R46.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. Who’s Who in the Middle Ages (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2001)
*R-RMRR CT114 .S56.
Tyerman, Christopher. Who’s Who in Early Medieval England, 1066-1272 (London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1996) JFD 96-18903.
Electronic Resources and Periodical Indexes
The following resources are available on the Library’s Selected Electronic Resources menu and are accessible on computers in the Library:
Historical Abstracts (1954 – present)
Index to journal articles in world history (except for the Americas) since 1450.
ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials and ATLA Religion Databases (early 20th century – present)
Index to articles and multi-author works in the field of religion, including the medieval period. Since the former provides full text with the latter limited to citations, it is necessary to consult both resources.
Philosopher’s Index (1949 – present)
Index to articles and monographs in philosophy..
ABES, Annotated Bibliography of English Studies
Covers secondary studies in English language and literature.
Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (1920 – present)
Includes monographs, articles, collections of essays, and critical editions of major literary works.
JSTOR
JSTOR is a searchable, digitized archive -- from the first date of publication to the last three to five years -- of major scholarly journals in the fields of Asian studies, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, population studies, and sociology.
Project Muse
A full-text database of the recent issues of many journals in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. Project Muse journals can be browsed by individual issues or searched as a group or by selected titles.
Selected Internet Sites
The Internet offers many web sites in the field of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The following ones are especially recommended and are freely available from any computer with Internet connection.
- Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
http://cmrs.osu.edu/
Maintained by faculty members of Ohio State University with an interest in medieval and Renaissance history and literature. - Charles Homer Haskins Society
http://www.haskins.cornell.edu/
Sponsors the study of medieval history with a particular focus on Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, Viking, and Angevin history. - International Center of Medieval Art
http://www.medievalart.org
Associated with the Cloisters in New York City, this site promotes research in the area of medieval art and cognate disciplines. - Medieval Academy of America
http://www.medievalacademy.org/
Promotes research in all aspects of medieval studies. - Renaissance Society of America
http://www.rsa.org
Fosters the study of the Renaissance from an interdisciplinary perspective. - Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
http://www.smrphil.org/
Concerned with scholarly research in medieval philosophy, literature, history, and theology. - Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies
http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home.html
Provides access to electronic resources in medieval studies. - ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
http://the-orb.net
Offers articles on the medieval period. This is also available on the Library’s Selected Electronic Resources database.
Related Subjects
You may find the following research guides helpful to you in your work:
Using the Library's Online Catalogs
Christianity and Church History
Where to Go for More Help
General Research Division, Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Located in Room 315, the reference desk is staffed during all hours that the Library is open.
E-mail Reference Service is also available.
Art and Architecture Collection, Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Located in Room 300, this collection contains extensive materials on the art and architecture of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages.
E-mail reference service is also available
Ask Librarians Online
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