Dictionary of literary influences : the twentieth century, 1914-2000 /

Powell's continuation of his Biographical Dictionary of Literary Influences: The Nineteenth Century, 1800-19l4 (2001) profiles the reading habits of 385 cultural figures of the 20th century. The expanded scope includes people from non-Western countries and many who contributed to popular culture. Coverage of the arts, politics, philosophy, religion, and science is good, but one questions the inclusion of so many Nazi officials, and some profiles of athletes seem patronizing. Entries include a brief biography, information for specific literary works and authors known to have influenced the subject, and a bibliography of secondary works and archival collections. The index allows readers to work backward and discover, for example, who was influenced by Henri Bergson (the most frequently mentioned, followed by the Bible, Dickens, Dostoevsky, Freud, Goethe, Hemingway, Marx, Nietzsche, Scott, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy). Quality varies from a superb intellectual biography of Pierre Elliott Trudeau to a muddled piece on Arthur Miller. Although their reference utility remains to be tested, the cumulative effect of individual profiles is fascinating. Libraries might consider placing this volume in their circulating collections. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Academic and large public libraries. J. M. Alexander Carnegie Mellon University

A companion to Powell's Biographical Dictionary of Literary Influences: The Nineteenth Century, 1800-1914 (2000), this volume contains 355 signed entries showing how key 20th-century figures have been influenced by literature. The average one-page entry aims to provide an "assessment of specific works and authors known to have influenced the subject" and a bibliography of "principal archival collections, standard biographical resources and published materials specifically related to the subject's reading." The individuals cited, who range from inventors, authors, artists, poets, and critics to politicians, historians, businessmen, and scientists, have been selected for the extent and nature of their influence upon Western civilization at the national or international level and a career distinguished by substantial achievement. Those who made the cut include Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Margaret Atwood, Amelia Earhart, Walt Disney, Joe DiMaggio, and Ezra Pound. While this book is not intended to be all-inclusive, it may be just as interesting to note who was excluded as who was included. For example, Edmund Wilson, John Wayne, and Allen Ginsburg are included, yet Harold Bloom, Marilyn Monroe, and John Ashbery are not. The volume also features numerous cross references and a detailed index. Overall, it would be useful for interdisciplinary studies or research because it combines a subject's literary history with biographical information. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries. [The third and final volume in this set, Dictionary of Literary Influences: The Twenty-First Century, is planned for future publication.-Ed.]-Laurie Selwyn, Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.