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History: Books

A guide to finding information in history. Includes links to key resources and sources of help.

To find out if a specific book is in the Library you just need to check the Enterprise catalogue (search box below). Enter the author's/editor's surname and one or two words from the title:

For example, to find the location of the following book in the Library, you just need to search Enterprise for 'atkin themes european'

Atkin, N. & Biddiss, M. (eds.), Themes in modern European history, 1890-1945, (London: Routledge, 2009)

You can also search Enterprise for a topic, to find related books.

Finding books

Finding printed books and e-books

Search the Enterprise catalogue to find specific books or books on a topic.

 

Finding online book chapters

To find online book chapters on a topic search the Summon discovery service:

Key locations

2nd Floor

100 Philosophy
180 Ancient and medieval philosophy
200 Religion
270 Church history
300 Social Sciences
320.9 History of political thought
330.9 Economic history
335 History of Socialism
340.09 History of law
370.09 History of education
390 History of customs, folklore, etc.
396.9 Women's history

3rd Floor

500 Science
509 History of sciences
600 Technology and applied science
610.9 History of medicine
700 Art in general
701 Theory of art
704 Iconography
708 Museums and galleries
709 History of art
720 Architecture
730 Sculpture
740 Drawing and decorative art
741.9 History of drawing
750 Painting
759 History of painting
760 Prints and printmaking
770 Photography

4th Floor

900 General history
910 Historical geography, history of explorations
913 Archaeology
930 Ancient history
940 World and European history
941-
999
National historical categories, from Scotland to Australasia

Videos: finding and borrowing a book

Accessing online Library resources

If you are on campus you will be able to access most e-journals and e-books, and some databases, without entering a username and password because your IP address identifies you as being at the University of Reading.

For any that require a login, see the Off-campus tab.

Terms of Use

When you use our e-resources you are agreeing to our Terms of Use. Please take a moment to look at these by following the link below:

When you are off-campus you will need to login to identify yourself as a member of the University of Reading to gain access to our protected databases, e-books and e-journals. 

Your login details

You login in the same way as for Blackboard - via Microsoft. Just enter your University username followed by @student.reading.ac.uk (e.g. ab123456@student.reading.ac.uk) and your password. If this is the first time you have logged in via this method when off-campus you will be asked to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication. For more information see:

Getting to the login page...

  • For most resources, if you follow a link from our website or catalogues your login will be picked up automatically or you will be prompted to login straightaway. 
  • If you access resources via another route you will need to look for a login option once you reach the resource you are trying to access. Look for an institutional or shibboleth login option and pick 'University of Reading' from a list of institutions. This will then pick up your login or prompt you to login. For more information about institutional login, please see the link below:
Logging in to Library resources

Watch this short video on how you login to use Library resources.

If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Logging in to the Library video on YuJa (University username and password required)

Call Numbers for selected topics

Albigenses 274.48
American Civil War 973.7072
American Revolution 973.3
Ancient architecture 722
Anglo-Saxon England 942.012, 913.42
Architectural periods 722-724
Architecture of specific countries 720.9 …
Art, general by country 709.3 - .9
Austro-Hungarian Empire 943.604

Baroque architecture 724.19
Bede 271.1094281
British Empire 942.08
Byzantine Empire 949.5

Calvinism 284.2
Capetian France 942.021
Capitalism 330.15
Caricatures/Cartoons 741.5
Carolingians 944.01
Cathars 274.48
Cathedrals 726.6
Chartism 942.08
Christian art 704.9482
Churches 726.5
Cistercians 271.12
Cities and towns, Medieval 301.36094
Civil Rights Movement 323.173
Cold War 327.1
Conservative Party 329.942
Corn laws 337.4
Crusades 940.18

D-Day 940.5421
Domesday Book 942.021

Ecclesiastical architecture 726
Elizabeth I 942.055
European Union 337.914

Fascism 321.644
France, History 944
French Revolution 944.04

Germany, History 943
Gothic architecture 723.5
Gregory of Tours 944.01

Habsburg Empire 943.604
Hastings, Battle of 942.02
Hitler 943.086
Holocaust 940.5405
Hundred Year’s War 944.025

Immigrants – United States 325.73
Industrial Revolution 330.942
Italy, History 945
Islamic architecture 723.3

Labour Party 329.942
Landscape painting 758.1
London – History 942.1

Magna Carta 942.033
McCarthyism 973.918
MI5 351.7420942
Museology 069

Napoleon 944.05
Nature in art 704.943
New Deal 973.917
Nuremberg trials 341.41

Portraits 757
Prussia – History 943.1

Reformation 270.6
Religion in art 704.948
Romanesque architecture 723.4

Sculpture: history 732-735
Slavery – United States 326.973
Southern States – History 975
Stained glass 748.5
Stuarts 942.06

Third Reich 943.086
Thirty Years War 940.24

Unification of Italy 945.08

Venice – History 945.31
Versailles, Treaty of 940.3141
Vichy France 944.081
Victorian England 942.08
Vikings 948.02

World War, 1914-1918 940.3
World War, 1939-1945 940.531

New books

Getting books not held at Reading

Our Inter-Library Loans service can get books not held at Reading from other libraries (usually from the British Library).

For more information see our webpages: