What is the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography?
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is an illustrated collection of more than 50,000 specially written biographies of the men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain’s past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2001. From January 2005, online updates will be published three times each year; in other words, the publisher will consistently be adding new biographies and reference material designed to help readers navigate and interpret the dictionary. Biographies include remarkable people in any walk of life who were connected with the British Isles — excluding living people. It includes not just the great and good, but people who have left a mark for any reason, good, bad, or bizarre. What kinds of questions can be answered using the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography? • Who was Saint Patrick and why is he the patron saint of Ireland? • What is fact and what is fiction concerning Sir William Wallace’s life? • What is the posthumous reputation of Sir James Matthew (J.M.
