Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era.(Brief Article)(Book Review)

Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era. 4 vols. Grolier. 2004. 1632p. ed. by James Eli Adams. ISBN 0-7172-5860-2. $499. REF

This superb interdisciplinary encyclopedia focuses on Great Britain during Victoria's reign, from 1837 to 1901. However, topics that come before and after are included when they shed light on the period. Also covered are the influences Victorian Britain had outside the country (as seen in entries on Jamaica and New Zealand, for instance) and the outside forces that influenced Victorian culture (e.g., P.T. Barnum and Frederick Olmsted). Adams (Cornell Univ.) began by assembling an editorial team, primarily from prestigious American universities, to …