Library users can now search more than 40 years of Wilson's classic biographical resource Biography Index in a single, easy-to-use database. With citations on people from antiquity through 1980s headline-makers, Biography Index Retrospective brings convenient WilsonWeb searching to the in-depth data that earned Biography Index decades of popularity as a print reference.
Researchers will find coverage of notables across all disciplines and subject areas: writers, artists, statesmen, sports figures, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, educators, military leaders, teachers, actors, business people, and more. A cross-section of the database unearths more than 18,000 profiles of painters worldwide, back to the 19th century; nearly 12,000 profiles of generals, from Douglas MacArthur to Hannibal; 5,000 profiles of physicists, from Isaac Newton to Stephen Hawking; more than 21,000 profiles of poets, from James Joyce to Sonia Sanchez; more than 3,100 profiles of pianists; almost 10,000 profiles of state governors back as far as the 1940s; more than 120 profiles of race car drivers, and much more.
Access by subject, author, publication year, publication name and issue (plus a wide array of other fields), makes Biography Index Retrospective a great tool for research not only on prominent individuals, but also on attitudes toward these individuals in specific media outlets, in specific eras, and by specific authors. Updated terms for professions allow searching using contemporary language, and name variations are reconciled, ensuring thorough research throughout the decades of coverage and multitude of sources.