Historical Dictionary of Libya

Ronald Bruce St John is an independent scholar specializing in the political economies of developing states. He has published well over 300 books and articles on North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, including nine books on Libya. He has served on the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Libyan Studies and The Atlantic Council Working Group on Libya.

The 5th edition of the Historical Dictionary of Libya is written by the same person who wrote the second through fourth editions, the latter published in 2006. [St John] has published extensively on the political economy of developing areas including Libya. It follows the pattern of other volumes in the Historical Dictionaries of Africa series. The alphabetized, cross-referenced entries, on both historical and recent events, people, issues and relationships, comprise the bulk of the book. They provide information on politics, religion, economics, and history. The dictionary entries are preceded by a list of acronyms and abbreviations, maps, a chronology from 1551 through December, 2014, and a short introduction to Libya. There are appendixes on dynasties, government officials, oil reserves, and sanctions. The book ends with a bibliography that is, after an introduction, put into sections on general reference. . . .There has been considerable change in Libya since the last edition. . . . [T]his book is a good resource for those wanting to find information about Libya, past and recent.