The Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History surveys the richly layered dimensions of American life in a format that clarifies the many issues, ideas, movements and places that constitute the American experience. How is the West defined as a cultural region? What did the notions of "secession" and "union" mean to Americans living in the 1860s? How does Disney pervade and influence perceptions about America today? In more than 200 articles written by scholars and enriched with illustrations, boxed biographies and documentary excerpts from primary sources, American thought and culture is thoroughly explored. The Encyclopedia covers not only historic periods such as the Colonial era and the Reagan era, but also looks at cultural groups such as the working class and cultural institutions and forms such as the university and cinema.

"From abolitionism to Zionism, this encyclopedia clarifies the intellectual history of more than 750 complex ideas of concern to people today. Like its classic predecessor, the Dictionary of the History of Ideas (1973), this new set covers core Western ideas, while expanding its coverage to include the 'global perspectives and gender-inclusive' concepts that have evolved in the past 30 years. Reader's guides, cross-references, sidebars, and an index aid the reader in understanding the way ideas combine with other ideas."--"Reference that rocks," American Libraries, May 2005.

This four-volume set examines every social movement in American history - from the great struggles for abolition, civil rights, and women's equality to the more specific quests for prohibition, consumer safety, unemployment insurance, and global justice.

A comprehensive introduction to film and film studies, covering such aspects as production, national traditions, studios, genres, critical theory, and film history. Includes more than 200 entries written by top scholars in the field of film studies. Also includes more than 230 career profiles, placing individual achievements in the context of specific topics (for example, a profile of Oscar Micheaux—a pioneering black filmmaker—appears in the article on "African American Cinema").

Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts is essential reading for anyone interested in film. Providing accessible coverage of a comprehensive range of genres, movements, theories and production terms, this is a must-have guide to a fascinating area of study and arguably the greatest art form of modern times. Now fully revised and updated for its fifth edition, the book includes entries on topics such as: Acting Audience CGI Convergence Cult cinema Digitisation and globalization Distribution Experimental film Transnational cinema World cinemas

Winner of the 2007 Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Now in its fourth edition, Frank Beaver's Dictionary of Film Terms has become an indispensable reference tool for the study of films and filmmaking. 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. This updated, expanded edition covers areas as wide-ranging as digital cinema, direct-to-DVD, and polyphonic film, and includes numerous stills from classic and contemporary films. References to nearly 150 films not cited in previous editions have been added. Extensive cross-referencing among individual definitions ensures easy access to specific terms, and a comprehensive topical index relates to larger concepts of film art. This up-to-date and comprehensive resource is a useful companion for film students and filmgoers, who will find it illuminating in its range and clarity.

Selected Oxford University Press reference books available online and searchable as a group. Includes The Oxford Companion to American Theatre, The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare, and The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. You may also wish to search Oxford Reference Online: Literature which includes several guides to world literature as well as The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms and A Dictionary of Writers and Their Works.

An authoritative and wide-ranging history of American theater in all its dimensions, from theater building to play writing, directors, performers, and designers.

An authoritative and wide-ranging history of British theater in all its dimensions, from theater building to play writing, directors, performers, and designers.