General Reference Guide: Background Info

Vernacular - or traditional - architecture encompasses most of the buildings of the world. This encyclopedia is the first to show the remarkable diversity of the buildings constructed and lived in by the people of over a thousand cultures.

The Oxford Companion to Architecture is a new A-Z reference book on a popular and much-debated subject. It covers all aspects of architecture, from architects, building types, and movements and styles to materials, aspects of design, and definitions.

The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art is an ambitious publishing endeavor, unparalleled in its comprehensive approach to the study of art in the United States.

The Oxford History of Western Art is an innovative and challenging reappraisal of how the history of art can be presented and understood. Through a carefully devised modular structure, readers are given insights not only into how and why works of art were created, but also how works in different media relate to each other across time. Here--uniquely--is not the simple, linear "story" of art, but a rich series of stories, told from varying viewpoints.

This volume clearly and accessibly explains the major theoretical approaches now deployed in the study of the moving image as well as defining key theoretical terms.

This trusted and practical handbook clearly and concisely defines the essential terms of film analysis, with a special focus on the aesthetic values of filmmaking.

Contains over 7,000 entries on directors, producers, stars, screenwriters and cinematographers, and more.

This comprehensive resource provides thorough coverage of films and filmmakers through the spring of 2000.

Garland's ambitious 10-volume series takes a cultural approach to its focus on the music of all the world's peoples. Each volume is arranged topically, regionally, or by ethnic group, and complemented by an extensive index.

A large and comprehensive 17-volume German music encyclopedia.

This text has been the standard guide to source literature of music and contains critically annotated listings of over 3,500 key sources. This comprehensive guide to reference sources is organized into chapters by category of source.

The New Grove Dictionary of American Music is the most comprehensive and enlightening history of America's musical heritage ever published. American Grove is focused solely on the unique styles and traditions of American music.

A large comprehensive encyclopedia available in print and now part of Oxford Music Online.

This six-volume reference work covers all forms of dance on a global scale, from antiquity to the present day.

This 10-volume Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion is the first comprehensive reference work to explore all aspects of dress and fashion globally - from pre-history to the present day.

From ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments in stage design, from the trance-dances of Sumatra to an extensive biography of the legendary actor-manager Eleonore Duse, the Encyclopedia provides unrivaled information across the broad sweep of theatrical activity.