Middle East Studies: Reference Sources

General History and Culture

Includes economic, political and geographic background information and statistical data by country; regional surveys provide in-depth, expert analysis at regional, sub-regional and country

Concise Encyclopedia of Arabic Civilization

An alphabetical series of entries and essays on all aspects of Arabic civilization; people, places, events, concepts. Includes maps.

Call Number:
Ref DS 215 R76

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Cultural Atlas of Islam

Outlines the history and influence of Islamic culture in long articles, pictures and maps. Includes a detailed examination of Islam and its place in the world, in language, history, culture, religion and the arts.

Call Number:
Ref DS36.85 .A39 1986

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Encyclopaedia Judaica
16 vols.

Covers how the Jewish people, the Jewish faith and the state of Israel have influenced history and shaped the modern world.

Call Number:
Ref DS102.8 E54

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Middle East and South Asia

Covers geographical setting, history, current government, politics, cultures, economic problems and prospects, with maps of each country, photographs and original art.

As events become more remote, their descriptions are condensed. This allows more space to present important, current happenings, why they occurred, and their future significance. The result: a well-proportioned, complete text, which is not crowded with unnecessary detail. Revised and published annually.

Call Number:
Ref G1 W675

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Worldmark Chronology of the Nations
4 volumes

Volume 3: Asia

Provides comprehensive overviews and detailed timelines of 194 nations with coverage of political, economic, cultural and social history. Includes in-depth, cross-disciplinary essays, biographies, primary document excerpts, term definitions, bibliographies, further reading and much more.

Call Number:
Ref G133 .W93 1999

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
4 volumes

Volume 3: Asia & Oceania

Covers history, politics, customs, religion, education, human rights issues, teen life and much more for culture groups from the Middle East.

Call Number:
Ref GN333 .W67 1998

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

CultureGrams
2 volumes

Briefly describes each country’s history, people, customs, and lifestyle.

Call Number:
Ref GT150 .C85 2001

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East
3 vols.

A three volume encyclopedia with short articles on all aspects of the Middle East; people, places, events, culture, history, religion and society.

Call Number:
Ref DS 43 E53 1996

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Historical Dictionary of Arab and Islamic Organizations

Lists and describes the major organizations of Islam and Arabic nations in history and in contemporary times, as well as key leaders and a chronology of the region.

Call Number:
Ref DS 36.55 C57 2001

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Historical Dictionary of Iraq

Call Number:
Ref DS 70.9 .G47 2004

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Historical dictionary of Islamic fundamentalist movements in the Arab world, Iran, and Turkey

Lists and describes the major fundamentalist groups in the Arab nations, Iran and Turkey, both in historical and contemporary times. Each entry describes the organization, its key leaders, and the principles behind each group. Includes a chronology of each region.

Call Number:
Ref BP 60 M36 1999

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Middle East

Provides a contemporary as well as an historical look at the Middle East region, on the following topics: Arab-Israeli conflict, U.S. policy in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Mideast oil, fourteen centuries of Islam, and country profiles, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Kuwait. Includes extensive appendices, with the content of important treaties, UN resolutions and chronologies.

Call Number:
Ref DS63.1 .M484 2000

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Middle East Studies Handbook

A great compilation of facts and figures about the historical Middle East. Includes an explanation of words transliterated into English from Arabic, Ottoman, and Persian, an Islamic calendar of Muslim holidays, in both Western and Hijra years, outlines of dynasties and rulers, a chronology, a historical atlas, and a glossary.

Call Number:
Ref DS 61 B3 1984

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Biographies

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt

Describes the lives and deeds of a number of well-known and lesser-known figures in Egypt’s history. Includes an overview of Egypt from 3100 BC to the Fourth Century AD, and a glossary.

Call Number:
Ref DT76 .D38 1992

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Encyclopedia of World Biography
17 volumes

In-depth biographical entries on 7,200 people from all time periods and all walks of life, including history, literature, politics and government, religion, science, business, sports, art and entertainment, technology and more.

Call Number:
Ref CT103 .E56 1998

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Islam beyond terrorists and terrorism: biographies of the most influential Muslims in history

Covers the history of Islam, with a brief history, 80 biographies of men who made major contributions to Islam throughout history. The book is organized in chronological order, with each short entry describing the individual’s contribution, as well as an outline of his life and times. The men included come from many disciplines, including art, medicine, literature, politics, and religion.

Call Number:
Ref BP70 .M34 2002

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Dictionary of Jewish Biography

Summarizes the lives of almost 1000 Jews "who have left an indelible mark on humankind" from biblical times to the present.

Call Number:
Ref DS115 .W49 1991

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Who’s Who in the Arab World

A biographical dictionary that provides information on Arabs and Arabian countries, and historical and contemporary events, as well as a survey of Arab countries and biographical data on prominent Arab people.

Call Number:
Ref D198.3 .W5 1984/85

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Economics

Middle East Review

A business and economic resource for the Middle East, this book contains background information on events in the Middle East, as well as economic indicators and business information on the countries in the region.

Call Number:
Ref HC415.15 .M43

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies
4 volumes

Volume 3: Asia & The Pacific

Provides accurate, in-depth analysis of each country's economic environment, reliable statistics on the country's current economic conditions and trends and key demographics of the nation's citizens. The approximately 200 entries each employ consistent organization allowing users to easily locate, compare and contrast data from one country to the next. Includes a glossary of terms, country index, maps, charts and graphs.

Call Number:
Ref HC15 .W675 2002

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Literature

Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature
2 vols.

Covers important works, authors and subjects in ancient and modern Arabic literature.

Call Number:
Ref PJ 7510 E53 1998

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Dictionary of Literary Biography
285+ volumes

vol. 311, Arabic Literary Culture

The massive Dictionary of Literary Biography series offers biographical essays and literary overviews of writers from around the world. This volume covers four centuries of Arabic literature, from 500-925, including over 35 writers and their work.

Call Number:
Ref PS129 .D536 v.311

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Great literature of the Eastern World

Comprised of essays describing over 100 literary works from Asia and the Middle East. Middle Eastern selections include the Qur’an, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) and others.

Call Number:
Ref PJ307 .G74 1996

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Music

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
10 volumes

Vol. 6: Middle East

A Multidisciplinary survey of the musical background, concepts, processes, and sounds from cultures around the world. Written by leading experts and researchers and including photographs, maps, charts, texts, music notation, and audio examples.

Call Number:
Ref ML100 .G16 1998

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor;

CD-ROMs: Gleeson Circulation Desk, 1st Floor

World Music: The Rough Guide
2 volumes

Volume 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East

Spans the music of seventy different countries and regions - everything from salsa to soukous, cajun to calypso, rai to qawwali. The detailed coverage brings together more than sixty expert contributors, whose feature articles take in the music to be seen and heard live around the globe, as well as on record. Major pieces are backed up by interviews with the key groups and artists, translations of lyrics, and extensive reviews and discographies.

Call Number:
Ref ML102 .W67 W67 1999

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Religion

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
2 volumes

Looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Contains thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more.

Call Number:
Ref BP40 E525 2004

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Muslim Almanac

Contains detailed descriptions of selected national organizations, including their purpose, current priorities, members, structure, resources, publications, and services.

Call Number:
Ref BP40 M83 1996

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

New Encyclopedia of Judaism

Contains detailed descriptions of selected national organizations, including their purpose, current priorities, members, structure, resources, publications, and services.

Call Number:
Ref BM50 E63 2002

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Reader's Guide To Judaism

Contains detailed descriptions of selected national organizations, including their purpose, current priorities, members, structure, resources, publications, and services.

Call Number:
Ref BM50 R43 2000

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Geography

Atlas of the Middle East

A colorful compendium of information and maps on the Middle Eastern region as well as its individual countries and occupied territories. Maps cover a variety of topics, including climate, ethnic and linguist groups, development indicators, water, religion, and oil. This work also includes historical information, such as timelines, historical maps, and information on ancient sites.

Call Number:
Ref G 2205 N34 2003

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Politics

Continuum political encyclopedia of the Middle East

Nearly 60 entries, from short to long essays, on people, trends and issues, places and groups in the Middle East. Provides statistics, charts and maps.

Call Number:
Ref DS62.8 .P64 2002

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties

Articles are arranged alphabetically by country name and include the following information: system of government, powers and responsibilities of government branches, the electoral and party systems, major political forces, and specific political parties (history, organization, financing, membership, etc.). Articles are written and signed by political scientists or other experts in the field, and contain recommendations for further reading.

Call Number:
Ref JF2011 .W67 1999

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor