Henry Buhl Library: HIST 372: The French Revolution & Napoleon: Start your Research

Best Places to Start

The Encyclopedia of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Access 10 contextual essays, maps, and a chronology, along with entries covering the people, places, battles, and other related events and topics of the French Revolution and Napoleonic eras (from ABC-CLIO).

Salem History Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Great Lives & Great Events Encyclopedias, which provide overviews of important events and major figures throughout history. Feature examples include the Fall of the Bastile, Marie-Antoniette, the Execution of Louis XVI, and Maximilian Robespierre.

The Encyclopedia of War
Covers all aspects of war, including battles, cultures and society, key figures, strategy and tactics, and weapons across all continents and all periods of human history.
Encyclopedia of European Social History
Call Number: Ref HN 373 .E63 2000 v. 1-6
Includes entries on a variety of social topics, including culture, religion, everyday life, state & society, and social protest, as well as biographies of important people. Many of the articles include substantial bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests
Call Number: Ref D 25 .A2 D38 2023
This new edition is a comprehensive guide to over 200 invasions, conquests, battles and occupations, from ancient times to the present.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
Biographies of deceased persons who have shaped British history and culture. Researchers of the Napoleonic Wars may find biographies of British military figures, such as Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.
Salem History Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Great Lives encyclopedias. Highlighted entries: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, & Robespierre
Biography Reference Bank This link opens in a new window
Includes biographies of Napoleon, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, as well as some of Napoleon's marshals.

Search for these series

Very Short Introductions
Call Number: Many are available online too.
Highlighted Titles in this Series: the French Revolution ; Nineteenth-Century Britain ; Napoleonic Wars ; Marquis de Sade
Historical Dictionaries of ...
Highlighted Titles in this Series: the Napoleonic Era ; the Wars of the French Revolution ; the French Revolution
Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations
Highlighted titles in this series:
The History of France
Call Number: DC 35 .H35 2000
Available in print and online.

Start with some background reading.

Tip: Use the links and books on this tab to help you locate names, dates, and keywords.

Your research will be better and take less time!
Use bibliographies to locate other books and articles.
Watch out for authors and/or titles that are cited over and over; they may be important.

Use of bibliographies is very valuable when you are building a comprehensive bibliography.