O-DAY is rooted in yesterday. The harvest of the autumn presupposes the plowing and sowing of the spring. The men of the present are the inheritors of the past and are never the earners of their best possessions. No nationality, university, business, church, association is wise to forget its debt to the men who wrought in the times of its beginning. The men responsible for the guiding of the vessel, as it safely bears its present cargo, ought to remember gratefully those who laid the ship's keel and made the anvils ring in patient preparation.

Historical dictionaries are useful books for all countries, but they are more essential for some than others. Albania is a case in point. Never particularly well known by outsiders under earlier regimes, it was deliberately and almost hermetically closed to the outside world during the communist era. Now it has thankfully become free again, its borders are open and it can be visited, and it is increasingly integrating with the rest of Europe and beyond. Nonetheless, it still remains relatively remote, and our knowledge of it is sparse. Worse, some of the things we think we know are wrong. So it takes a lot of effort to learn about Albania, although that was already lessened considerably by the previous edition of this Historical Dictionary of Albania, and will be even more so by the second edition. This volume takes a long view, presenting the various peoples, regimes, and rulers who shaped its earlier development and the leaders who are now seeking other, more promising directions, although not always successfully. Nonetheless, there has been progress, and it can best be seen by taking a long view, which is one of the strong points of this book. It also takes a very broad view, covering not only history and politics, but also economics and social customs, foreign policy, language, culture, and religion. And it adds a further dimension: the Albanians living outside of the country, whether in neighboring Kosovo or the more distant diaspora. Literally hundreds of entries in the dictionary section are buttressed by a list of acronyms, a chronology, and an introduction. And those who want to learn more about specific topics should consult the impressively large bibliography.

Among all the national radios, British radio has always enjoyed a unique position, probably because of the role of the British Broadcasting Corporation—best known as the BBC. This is partly because of its continuing production of first-class programs of all sorts, whether news, music, or sports. Even more important, in times of crisis or when people abroad cannot trust their own national radio, they tune in to the BBC, which has always proven to be more reliable and still transmits worldwide. But there is more to British radio than the BBC, much more, because it also has a remarkable tradition of commercial radio and public radio, ranging from the early “pirate” stations to more specialized ones of today. This being said, British radio is not without its problems, nor is the BBC, but the industry is adapting to the new technologies, taking on and learning to live with (if not actually defeating) new competitors, and maintaining a distinctive and welcome presence. This Historical Dictionary of British Radio draws a broad picture in several different ways. The chronology traces a long history, from the earliest technical breakthroughs, through the landmark broadcast of Nellie Melba in 1920, and through to the most recent developments. The introduction sums up its role, assessing the many achievements and also the many challenges, from one period to another, with the BBC clearly in charge at first and gradually sharing the field with countless others, and looking toward the future. The dictionary section offers a wealth of detail, with entries on the enabling legislation, the BBC and its many rivals, key persons in the administration and on the creative side, many of the more memorable programs and those who appeared in them, and much of the technical paraphernalia. Last but not least is a bibliography permitting students and radio fans to find further reading.

The Republic of Croatia, to outside observers, is one of those new countries that resulted from the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. To its own people, however, it is a very old country that is finally getting another chance to forge a nation. The Croats trace their roots back many centuries, and the depth of this resurgent nationalism helps explain why Yugoslavia split as it did and, to some extent, where it did. Of course, the demise was messy and much remains to be done to overcome that phase of its history and to satisfy all concerned. But Croatia has returned, and its people are trying in often difficult circumstances to make a success of their new state. Indeed, there has been notable progress as regards economic restructuring, democratization, and a rapprochement with their neighbors and with Europe more broadly, and there is finally some hope for the future. This is now the third edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Croatia and, as in the previous editions, it is particularly useful in helping us understand what happened and why. To do this, it covers a far more extensive period than just today’s Croatia, reaching back to much earlier times and showing how long and hard the struggle was, not only politically but also socially, economically, even linguistically. The basics are summed up through an introduction that presents the land, the people, and their history. That history is rather complicated, so fortunately it can be traced year by year in the chronology. But most of the information again appears in the dictionary section, with hundreds of useful entries on persons, places, events, institutions, political parties, minorities, and other matters. The list of acronyms is also useful, providing names both in the original and in English. Those who want to know more can then turn to the substantial bibliography that includes much of the relevant English-language literature.

Film noir—literally "black cinema"—is the label customarily given to a group of black and white American films, mostly crime thrillers, made between 1940 and 1959. Today there is considerable dispute about what are the shared features that classify a noir film, and therefore which films should be included in this category. These problems are partly caused because film noir is a retrospective label that was not used in the 1940s or 1950s by the film industry as a production category and therefore its existence and features cannot be established through reference to trade documents. The Historical Dictionary of Film Noir is a comprehensive guide that ranges from 1940 to present day neo-noir. It consists of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on every aspect of film noir and neo-noir, including key films, personnel (actors, cinematographers, composers, directors, producers, set designers, and writers), themes, issues, influences, visual style, cycles of films (e.g. amnesiac noirs), the representation of the city and gender, other forms (comics/graphic novels, television, and videogames), and noir's presence in world cinema. It is an essential reference work for all those interested in this important cultural phenomenon.

There is an increasing tendency to give countries, especially developing countries and most particularly newly independent ones, “report cards” showing how well they’ve been doing and even to indicate their respective positions. Under these conditions, Kyrgyzstan might receive something like “needs improvement” or come in—more or less—in the second-to-bottom quarter. Shortly after it became independent in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan was regarded as one of the more promising new states. But when the lessons it was obliged to learn were poorly digested (or perhaps the lessons themselves were poorly thought out), it gradually slipped and lost favor. More recently, however, this small country with a mixed population and limited natural resources has been making headway for many reasons: its political system and democracy, civil society, human rights, economic development, equality, and cooperation with the international community. It is much easier to understand Kyrgyzstan’s indifferent performance as an independent state with some insight into the previous decades and even centuries. The country began as a collection of tribes, and was then poorly absorbed and assimilated into the Russian Empire. Even before becoming an independent state, Kyrgyzstan was more or less rejected by its Soviet masters, classified as a semi-independent “republic.” Not many scholars have studied it, including its own, and not many have written about it; the country has for the most part been lumped together with the Russian and Soviet Empires, and even today normally appears just as part of the Central Asian Republics. So this Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan is particularly welcome because it makes up for previous omissions and fills a gap by providing basic information in a readily usable format. The dictionary contains the standard entries on significant people, places, and events; organizations and institutions; ethnic and political groups; and salient aspects of the economy, society, and culture. Both the chronology and introduction are unusually helpful in providing an overview of the country’s often halting progress, and the bibliography supplies references in English and other languages.

Mozambique is one of Africa’s larger countries and also has the potential to become one of its more important countries. It possesses many natural resources and has an active population that could again develop agriculture and commerce and then create an industrial base. It is located along the coast and provides a natural outlet for several landlocked neighbors. It is also strategically placed next to South Africa, the regional powerhouse. Regrettably, over the first decade of independence, it did not take advantage of those assets, partly because of a destructive civil war and partly because of its ideological orientation. Now that the war is over and it has reverted to a market economy, Mozambique should be able to make better progress. When the first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Mozambique appeared, I pointed out that Mozambique was one of the least-known African states. Little has happened to change that situation. Thus, there are few enough sources of information even today, which is particularly deplorable now that a fresh start is being made. Fortunately, this second edition can fill more of the gaps and bring the story up-to-date. This is done through an extension of the chronology, which recounts the more significant events, and an expanded dictionary section, which contains new and updated entries on persons, places, events, and institutions of note as well as crucial aspects of the economy, society, and culture. The bibliography has also been revised, with more new titles, many of them in English, but also in Portuguese. This second edition builds on the first, and the lead author is still Mario Azevedo, who wrote the first edition. Dr. Azevedo, who was born in Mozambique, is presently chair of the African-American and African Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has written extensively on Africa, much of this on Mozambique, including a book on Mozambique refugees. This time he is joined by Tomé Mbuia João, also a Mozambican by origin, who works as a broadcaster in Portuguese at the Voice of America, and Emmanuel Nnadozie, who is professor of economics at Truman State University. Together they have produced a very helpful and insightful work on a country that deserves to be better known.

The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of New Zealand describes the many changes that have taken place during the past decade while building on the solid foundation of the first edition, which already traced New Zealand's long and lively history. The book's introduction gives an overall view of the country, while the chronology plots the path from the earliest settlers to the present. The dictionary includes hundreds of cross-referenced entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. Everything from the examination of the relations between the Pakeha and the Maori to the country's environmental policy is covered in this reference. Further research is enabled by the extensive bibliography.

This scholarly treasury of over 450 distinguished quotations, divided into 170 categories, focuses on the best thinking in the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, from the classical period of Greece to contemporary cognitive science. Quotations are arranged chronologically within categories. This work will be of interest to scholars and professionals in psychology, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science as well as undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines.

Although it has actually been around since the early days of filmmaking, science fiction cinema is a contemporary and futuristic genre. It deals with events that usually take place at a far-off time and often faroff place; thus it appeals to the human desire to understand and perhaps predict the future. It also helps to explain science and technology and where they could be leading us. Science fiction cinema tackles prickly problems, often in a context that make them more real than reality— problems such as environmental degradation; overpopulation and pressure on space and goods; friction between the sexes, races, and nations; and the coming and substantially greater difficulties in dealing with rogue computers, robots, clones, and possibly even aliens (if we can believe what we see in the movies). Although science fiction cinema is often termed escapism, it is also an attempt to come to terms with a rapidly changing world. Consider the words of the great science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke: “We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality. . . . It’s a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can’t think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality.” This Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema is an excellent guide to the field. The chronology illustrates how long the movies have been around and charts some of the major advances—and films—over the years. The introduction then provides an overview, reminding us that science fiction cinema is hardly monolithic; rather, it consists of different genres, produced in an increasing range of countries, and using varying techniques. The bulk of the information, as usual, appears in the dictionary, with entries on directors, actors, and films. Other entries deal with topics such as monsters, alien invasions, utopia, and dystopia, as well as production sites (half a dozen countries), technical aspects, and new technologies (computer-generated imagery). The bibliography provides resources for further information. It was written by M. Keith Booker, who is the James E. and Ellen Wadley Roper Professor of English at the University of Arkansas. He is also the director of the university’s Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Therefore, Dr. Booker does not simply deal with science fiction in the abstract; he shows how films and their writers, directors, actors, and genres fit into a historical context and relate to us in the present. He has also written dozens of books on literature and popular culture—more broadly and more specifically, half a dozen books on science fiction, with two recent publications dealing with science fiction cinema: Alternative Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture and The Science Fiction Handbook. This volume, therefore, presents a wealth of experience and knowledge for a variety of audiences.

Sierra Leone is another African country that has had more than its share of troubles. Many of these were not even its fault. There were more than enough causes of friction; the country began as a colony, West Africa, like neighboring Liberia, to receive liberated Africans and freed slaves and evolved into a British protectorate that reached much farther inland and included a variety of ethnic groups, some in conflict with others. Still, Sierra Leone got off to a reasonable start politically and economically, despite differences within the elite, punctuated by military intervention. The worst troubles, however, resulted from the spread of Liberia’s civil wars into its neighbor, Sierra Leone. It took intervention by an African military force dominated by Nigeria to sort that out and to restore a tenuous peace. Now Sierra Leone has another chance, and with considerable effort and luck may fulfill some of its earlier promise. That is, at any rate, what the Sierra Leoneans and their friends hope. Much of this historical review of the country will be complicated and inexplicable to outsiders. Indeed, many Sierra Leoneans cannot grasp what has happened either. The causes and explanations—at least some of them—only become clearer with a rather long view, such as that provided by this Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone. It traces the history of the region from earlier times through colonial rule and into independence, through somewhat happier times into troubled times, and finally until the present. The course of events can be followed most simply through the chronology, and the explanations begin to fall into place with the introduction. But the core of the book is a compilation of several hundred entries in the dictionary concerning crucial events, ethnic groups, movements, political parties, and especially persons—persons whose actions and influence strongly impacted events. This study includes a bibliography, listing many sources that can shed further light on specific aspects and features of the country and its history. This is the second historical dictionary on Sierra Leone, the first having been written by Cyril Patrick Foray and published in 1977. That is more than 25 years ago, an exceptionally long time for books in this series. But it would have been hard to know exactly what was going on in Sierra Leone for the past decade or so. And it would have been even harder to find someone who could present it cogently. This meant it was necessary to wait until the right author could be found, ultimately in the person of C. Magbaily Fyle. Dr. Fyle knows Sierra Leone far better than most, having been born and educated in the country, having taught history at Fourah Bay College, and having also served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and university public orator. In addition, Dr. Fyle was a member of many boards and was a nonexecutive director of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone. Since 1991, C. Magbaily Fyle has been a professor in the African American and African Studies Department of Ohio State University. However, it takes more than knowing; it is also necessary to convey this information, something he has been doing for decades as the author of numerous articles and eight books, including The History of Sierra Leone: A Concise Introduction. This entirely new volume brings the story up to date for the many readers who want to know what happened and begin to understand why.