This encyclopedia is simply excellent. Seemingly covering most regions of the globe, Nolan does them all justice. This two-volume work is spectacular in its breadth of topics and knowledge, with nearly 2,000 entries arranged alphabetically. The set also includes a list of entries, a preface, an author's note, a note on dates, and a chronology of major events. This is a very useful addition to this field of study. Covering the world (but with more attention devoted to Europe), typical entries in this work are Aztec Empire of Mexico; Calvinism; Confucianism; both Defenestrations of Prague; Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498), Dominican monk and religious reformer in Florence; Muskets; Printing; Salah al-Din (1137-1193), better known as Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria and the worthy foe of Crusaders; and Kabuto, an ornate Japanese armored helmet and mask. Entries range from a few sentences to several pages, and each has a suggested readings section. Highly recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers.

Choice

[A]n excellent reference work that is well written and easy to use.

American Reference Books Annual

It is an extremely good, clear, concise dictionary/encyclopedia of world military history for the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The entries are lively and engaging and make me wonder why I was not more interested in military history in the past.

Reference Reviews

What stands out immediately about this encyclopedia is that the entire work-over 3,000 entries from abatis to Zwingli spread over 1,000 pages of closely printed text-was written by Cathal J. Nolan. He is not an editor in the usual sense of an encyclopedia, but the author of this work….[i]n every area of expertise-from firearms and technology to social history and theology-Nolan has read and synthesized the major expert or experts in the field, making this a very impressive work of synthesis. The work is truly global in scope….[t]he work will be useful to both military historians and non-military historians of early modern Europe alike….[t]his is an extremely user-friendly as well as reliable reference work. If you have only one reference work on early modern military history on your shelf, this is now the one to have.

The Journal of Military History

This encyclopedia describes and illuminates a momentous 650-year period of world history that includes what historians have called The Dark Ages and the Renaissance….Nolan's well-written and authoritative preface serves as an excellent and clear introduction to this large slice of world history, and the alphabetically arranged entries are equally informative, impartially written, and accessible to students….Though specialized, this encyclopedia is recommended for libraries supporting a robust world history curriculum or fielding a number of questions on the topic.

School Library Journal

This resource would be a good purchase for larger public libraries and undergraduate institutions that support courses in the history of warfare. It can provide students and general readers with background for understanding some of the major conflicts of the twenty-first century.

Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin