The Dictionary of National Biography: 9th Supplement: 1971-1980 (Dictionary of National Biography Supplement) [Hardcover]

Lord Blake (Editor), C. S. Nicholls (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 1986 | ISBN-10: 0198652089 | ISBN-13: 978-0198652083 | Edition: 9 Sup

This supplement to the classic reference work, The Dictionary of National Biography records the lives of 748 men and women who died between 1971 and 1980. Though most are British subjects, there are entries on figures like Alfred Hitchcock who subsequently became an American, and on men who were never citizens but who spent formative years in Britain--people like Jomo Kenyatta, Robert Menzies and Archbishop Makarios. From politicians, lawyers, educators, royalty, and philosophers to artists, musicians, writers, entertainers and athletes, the entrants span the entire range of occupations and interests. In fact, the contributors to the volume are often as eminent as their subjects: the supplement features Harold Macmillan writing on Lord Egremont, Malcolm Muggeridge on E.B. Knox, and Philip Larkin on Barbara Pym. The supplement also includes a cumulative index to the DNB 1901-80.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A glorious medley....Almost without exception, all of its 748 entries are vivacious and stylish; there can be few books exceeding one thousand pages which are so consistently well written, instructive, and amusing."--Times Literary Supplement.

"Many of the entries are surprisingly frank. Almost all seem definitive, two factors that make this reference work a continuing classic."--The Christian Science Monitor

"For pure enjoyment, the prize goes to the latest, 1970s volume of the DNB."--The Observer

Praise for earlier volumes: "As usual, the quality of the writing is exceptional....This is a splendid work."--Library Journal

"The general standard is very high, and a substantial number are models of acuity and compression."--The Economist

"The standard reference work for British figures of any note since the dawn of history....Famous and revered...the DNB is the most expansive, companionable, and entertaining 'authority' one can hope to meet, interested in everybody and eager to tell you all....One can hardly read any entry without learning something unexpected or unbelievable about people or history."--The American Scholar

"The most amusing book in the language."--Leslie Stephen

"The greatest literary monument of the Victorian age."-Lord Rosebury

"An essential part of the writer's professional equipment. It is also a series of beguiling bedside books."--Evelyn Waugh

"The DNB counts among the greatest and most interesting works of reference in the world."--Arnold Bennett

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1030 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 9 Sup edition (December 4, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198652089
• ISBN-13: 978-0198652083
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,317,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)