Reference resources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, and handbooks that can provide background information about your research topic. Reference resources are a great place to begin if you are researching an unfamiliar topic.
These are selected reference books pertaining to Western Civilization. To find more academic books on your topic, click the "Books & eBooks" tab for links.
The Greenwood encyclopedia of clothing through world history by 
Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music
The Encyclopaedia of the Renaissance by 