Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Great Lives from History: Notorious Lives. Edited by Carl L. Bankston. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2007. 3 vols. 2001 p. $252.00. ISBN-13: 978-1-58765-320-9.

While it might seem less likely that a curriculum would cover Lizzie Borden rather than Susan B. Anthony, many notorious (defined as controversial to extremely negative) figures from ancient times to the present have made an impact on history. Persons from all over the world, Attila the Hun, Adolf Hitler and lesser evils such as inside traders and pardoned presidents, are found among the 637 essays here. Essays range from 700 to 1,200 words. The name of the individual is followed by a short identification, birth and death dates and places, the cause of the notoriety, when active and the locale. For those who used more than one name in their careers, those other names are given. Brief paragraphs tell about the early life, careers, any legal action and outcomes, and the impact on history. An annotated bibliography and "See also" references are found at the end. For some entries, grey inset boxes and photographs or reproductions illustrate the text. Appendixes include a chronological list of entries from the Ancient World and Middle Ages to divisions by centuries from 1401-1800 when division is by decade. The 51-page bibliography is divided into "General Studies and Reference" and then by type such as "Military Figures," "Pirates," and "Politicians" and includes electronic resources. Three indexes follow. The Categorical Index helps locate assassins, Biblical villains, corrupt politicians, outlaws and gunslingers, terrorists, and white-collar criminals among others. The Geographical Index places them in their country, and the Personages Index locates them by name. Students who want to analyze what a hero and a villain might do in the same time period can certainly find one half of that assignment here.