There are many types of reference sources, including:
These sources provide background information on a topic and can quickly prepare you for more in-depth research. They can also lead you to other sources if you read closely and make note of works cited that you might be interested in.
Check the SLU Libraries Catalog for current availability and the Pius Library location guide for location information.
Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa
Updating the 1996 edition in light of many new developments (e.g., the failed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2000, September 11th, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan), this new edition presents some 3,000 entries covering topics in fields such as politics, history, economics, religion, sociol
The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts by
The monumental, five-volume "The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts" is a must-have resource for anyone seeking to comprehend U.S. actions in this volatile region. Under the expert editorship of Spencer C. Tucker, the encyclopedia traces 20th- and 21st-century U.S. involvement in the Middle East and south-central Asia, concentrating on the last three decades. Beginning with the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, it covers the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, allied punitive actions against Iraq during the 1990s, the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War, and the Global War on Terror. Many smaller military actions against Iran, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and other regimes that have been involved in international terrorism are also included. Diplomacy, religion as it pertains to Middle East conflict, and social/cultural developments are other key subjects of analysis, as is the interplay of politics with military policy in the United States and other nations involved in the region.
Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy by
This revised version has been expanded with 44 new essays, all written by respected post-Cold War scholars who bring the latest perspectives to their topics. General category coverage includes concepts and doctrines, policymaking, commerce and science, human rights and arms control.
Sage Encyclopedia of Terrorism by
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition, is a thoroughly updated and expanded edition of the original, highly regarded reference work. Nearly 100,000 words of new material has been added, along with fully updated original entries, expanded coverage, and multimedia elements (audio and video clips, links to primary documents and more) accompany the electronic version. New entries will explore the impact of terrorism on economics, public health, religion and even pop culture. Ethical issues such as the role of torture in interrogations, competing notions of security versus liberty, and the debates over FISA legislation and Guantanamo Bay will also be covered. Two dozen entries on significant recent events - such as the London bombings, Chechen attacks on Russian interests, and the rescue of Ingrid Bettancourt - and some 60 additional new entries will restore the work as an up-to-the-minute, natural first-stop for researchers.
Encyclopedia of United States National Security by
SAGE Reference is proud to announce the Encyclopedia of United States National Security, Two-Volume Set. The Encyclopedia covers the origin, development and results of all major US national security policies over the last seven decades. National security has been a widely debated, yet highly researched topic that has tremendous global scope. However, there has never been a single, concise reference source to aid students in providing accurate and informative answers to the many challenging questions of how, why, when and where US national security evolved. A thoroughly interdisciplinary work, the Encyclopedia views US national security from a historical, economic, political and technological perspective. This Two-VolumeSset is arranged alphabetically and includes over 750 entries. Over 200 of the articles are signed. This, first of its kind encyclopedia, is a must-have resource for all academic and public libraries. Entries are arranged into the following categories: Politics/policy making; Economics; Technology; Wars; Presidential Administrations; Foreign Relations; and Strategic Policy.
New Encyclopedia of Islam by
The acclaimed New Encyclopedia of Islam has been completely revised, updated, and re-designed in a fresh larger-format, with more than 1,500 entries. The New Encyclopedia of Islam is unique as a single-volume work that encompasses the beliefs, practices, history, and culture of the Islamic world. The Economist described the first edition as a miracle for its readability; the Independent hailed a magnificent achievement. The book is suitable for novices and scholars alike. In this expanded new edition, with an extensive chronology, Cyril Glasse provides a truly unrivaled study of one of the world s great religions."
Crossroads of War: A Historical Atlas of the Middle East by
From the Bronze Age to the twenty-first century, vying armies have clashed over the territory stretching from the Upper Nile to modern-day Iraq and Iran. Crossroads of War captures five millennia of conflict and conquest in detailed full-color maps, accompanied by incisive, accessible commentary. The lands of the Middle East were home to a succession of empiresâe"Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persianâe"that rose and declined with the fortunes of battle. Kings and generals renowned in history bestrode the region: Nebuchadnezzar, David, Alexander the Great, Saladin, Napoleon. The religions of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were born here and from the beginning became embroiled in conflicts ranging from the Maccabean Revolt to Muhammadâe(tm)s Arabian conquests to the Christian Crusades. In the twentieth century, the Middle East witnessed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and played a role in the grim dramas of two world wars, as T. E. Lawrence helped spark the Arab Revolt and General Bernard Montgomery defeated Hitlerâe(tm)s Desert Fox, General Erwin Rommel, at El Alamein. From the Yom Kippur War and Operation Desert Storm to a Global War on Terror that still looms over the twenty-first century, the Middle East continues to be shaped by the vagaries and vicissitudes of military conflict. Crossroads of War offers valuable insights into the part of the world that first cradled civilization and then imagined its demise in a final clash of armies at Armageddon.