Author Description

For hundreds of years leaders of nations have been educated at Oxford. The architecture of the University and colleges has become one of the glories of Europe. The holdings of the libraries and museums are among the most extensive and important in the world. And, most importantly, Oxford has been at the center of major scholarship since the Middle Ages, having made lasting contributions in the study of religion, classics, the arts, the sciences, and more.In The Illustrated History of Oxford University, John Prest has assembled the fascinating story of Oxford--from its origins 800 years ago to the present day--to give a uniquely authoritative version of the University for the general reader. Written by a team of esteemed scholars, all leaders in their fields, this wide-ranging volume captures all of the richness and diversity of Oxford as it details its significant and colorful past. From the brilliant intellectual beginnings of the University in the twelfth century to its twentieth-century emphasis on research, the Illustrated History charts the growth and development of a university competing at the frontiers of knowledge.