Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford DNB) is the national record of men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century.
The Oxford DNB includes 60,000 biographies, 11,000 portraits and 250 podcasts. The biographies are concise, up-to-date and written by named, specialist authors. It is overseen by academic editors at Oxford University and published by Oxford University Press. The advanced search functionality lets you search by occupation, gender, and time period and life event and the database is updated regularly throughout the year.
Some highlights include:
- Stuart Hall – Cultural theorist
- James Cameron – Journalist
- Gwyneth Bebb – Campaigner
- Mary Wollstonecraft – Writer
- Ignatius Sancho – Author
Listen to a life
The Oxford DNB podcast can be accessed via the main database or downloaded via ITunes (where it’s called ‘Oxford Biographies’). An episode is released each week and lasts between 10 and 20 mins.
Popular episodes include:
If you have any questions about Oxford Dictionary of National Biography please contact library@city.ac.uk.