Although the terms "medieval" or "Middle Ages" are certainly Eurocentric, originating in a periodization that marks the 1000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance, general editor Salisbury (emerita, history, U. of Wisconsin-Green Bay) notes that these years were marked by major developments all over the world and emphasizes the role of global connections in shaping these developments. She presents a three-volume encyclopedia that explores these developments and connections in regional sections on Europe, the Americas, Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. Each section contains an essay providing a historical overview for the thousand years and six more topical essays on religion, economy, the arts, society, science and technology, and (in accordance with the above mentioned theme) "global ties," as well as traditional encyclopedia-style short entries on people, ideas, events, and terms. The short entries are referenced in bold when they arise within the larger topical essays and they also cross-reference themselves. All essays and short entries include brief guides to further reading. Each section further contains a chronology, a collection of maps, primary documents, and an appendix (this appendix typically provides information on ruling dynasties, but other topics, such as Chinese inventions or major island groups of Oceania are sometimes also included). A comprehensive and cumulative index is included in volume three, but a comprehensive list of short entries, which might have been helpful in locating information, is not provided. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)