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100 Most Influential Books Ever Written

Oxford University

Oxford in literature and other media

Oxford University is the setting for numerous works of fiction. Quickly becoming part of the cultural imagination, Oxford was mentioned in fiction as early as 1400 when Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales referred to a "Clerk [student] of Oxenford": "For him was levere have at his beddes heed/ Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,/ of Aristotle and his philosophie/ Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie". As of 1989, more than 533 Oxford-based novels had been identified, and the number continues to rise. Literary works include:

Gaudy Night, a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery by Dorothy L. Sayers (who was herself a graduate of Somerville).
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
A Staircase in Surrey, a quintet of novels by J. I. M. Stewart.
A series of whodunnits by Veronica Stallwood, including Oxford Blue, Oxford Exit, etc.
The His Dark Materials trilogy of Philip Pullman (alternative reality)
The Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter is set in Oxford and frequently refers to the University (although most of the college names are fictional).
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
Where the Rivers Meet, a trilogy of novels by John Wain
Tom Brown at Oxford, by Thomas Hughes
Zuleika Dobson, by Max Beerbohm
Jill, by Philip Larkin
Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, and the short story Firewatch, by Connie Willis
Accident, by Nicholas Mosley; the novel served as the basis for the film of the same name, which is mentioned below

Fictional universities based on Oxford include Terry Pratchett's Unseen University, J.K.Rowling's "Hogwarts"^{[citation needed]} and "Christminster" in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure.

For a list of fictional colleges of Oxford University, see fictional Oxford colleges.

Many poets have also been inspired by the University:

The Oxford Sausage was an anthology published in 1764 and edited by Thomas Warton. The Glamour of Oxford (1911) is a collection of verse and prose edited by William Angus Knight, and another anthology — Seccombe and Scott's In Praise of Oxford (1912) — spans two volumes. More recent compilations include Oxford and Oxfordshire in Verse (1983) and Oxford in Verse (1999) (see 'Further Reading').
'Duns Scotus' Oxford' is one of Gerard Manley Hopkins' better-known poems.

Films set in the University include:

A Yank at Oxford (1938), starring Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh
A Chump at Oxford (1940) starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
Accident (movie) (1967), film about an Oxford don, co-written by Harold Pinter
May Morning (1970), a critique of social mores in early 1970s Oxford
Incense for the Damned (1972), starring Peter Cushing, Patrick Macnee and Edward Woodward (based on the novel Doctors Wear Scarlet by Simon Raven)
Brideshead Revisited (1981), based on Waugh's novel; a mini-series enormously popular in Britain and America, the film has sometimes been seen as drawing unwanted attention to Oxford's stereotypical reputation as a playground of the upper classes. It stars Jeremy Irons, and most college shots are of Christ Church and Hertford.
Oxford Blues (1984), starring Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Amanda Pays
American Friends (1991), starring Michael Palin
Shadowlands (1993), starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, about the life of C. S. Lewis
The Madness of King George (1994), with Nigel Hawthorne
Tom & Viv (1994), a film which explores the troubled relationship between T. S. Eliot (played by Willem Dafoe) and his mentally ill wife Vivienne Haigh-Wood (Miranda Richardson)
True Blue (1996), about the mutiny at the time of the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race of 1987
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), a James Bond sequel starring Pierce Brosnan (Bond returns to Oxford to brush up on his Danish.)
The Saint (1997), film starring Val Kilmer as the sleuth Simon Templar
Wilde (1997), film about the outlandish playwright starring Stephen Fry, Jude Law and Vanessa Redgrave
The Red Violin (1998), the violin arrives in Oxford after being given to an English lord
Iris (2001), starring Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet, about the life of Iris Murdoch
National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: Rise of Taj (2006), under the name of "Camford"
What A Girl Wants (2003), movie about a vivacious teenager called Daphne who goes to visit her father in London, only to learn he is a lord. In the end she attends The University of Oxford just like her father.
The Oxford Murders (film) (2007) starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt.
Blue Blood (film) (2007)

This list does not include movies in which university buildings appeared as a backdrop but were not depicted as Oxford University, such as the Harry Potter movies and the earlier Young Sherlock Holmes.

Books associated with Oxford (seperate article)

Book series
- Oxford World's Classics
- Inspector Morse (Colin Dexter) — also a television series
- Kate Ivory (Veronica Stallwood)
- A Staircase in Surrey (J. I. M. Stewart, five novel series: 1974–78)

The following are some selected individual books, many by Oxford University alumni:

Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (Sue Townsend, 1993)
The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green (Cuthbert M. Bede, in three parts: 1850s)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1865)
Another Kind of Cinderella (Angela Huth, 2002)
Bleak Midwinter (Peter Millar, 2002)
The Book and the Brotherhood (Iris Murdoch, 1983)
Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh, 1945)
Dancing to the Pipers (Kate Fenton, 1993)
Death at the President's Lodgings (Michael Innes, 1936)
Dangerous Games (Jodie Sinclair, 1997)
Death of a Don (Howard Shaw)
The Devil's Hunt (Paul Doherty)
Dirty Tricks (Michael Dibdin, 1991)
Doomsday Book (Connie Willis, 1992)
The Game (A. S. Byatt, 1967)
Gaudy Night (Dorothy L. Sayers, 1935)
The Greatest Sorrow (Keith Ovenden, 1998)
His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman, trilogy: 1995, 1997, 2000)
The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937) — written at 20 Northmoor Road, North Oxford
The House in Norham Gardens (Penelope Lively, 2004) — set in Norham Gardens, North Oxford
An Instance of the Fingerpost (Iain Pears, 1997)
Jill (Philip Larkin, 1946)
Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy, 1895) — Oxford is called "Christminster"
Juggling (Barbara Trapido, 1994)
The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien, three volumes: 1954–55) — mostly written at 20 Northmoor Road; see also film trilogy
Lyra's Oxford (Philip Pullman, 2003)
The Men and the Girls (Joanna Trollope, 1992)
Oxford Exit, Oxford Shadows, etc. (Veronica Stallwood)
The Oxford Murders (Guillermo Martínez, 2003) — to appear as a film
An Oxford University Chest (John Betjeman, 1938)
The Poison Tree (Tony Strong)
A Storm in Oxford (E. Tangye Lean, 1932)
Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome, 1889) — a journey from Kingston to Oxford on the River Thames
Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll, 1871)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (John le Carré, 1974)
Tom Brown at Oxford (Thomas Hughes, 1861)
To Say Nothing of the Dog (Connie Willis, 1997)
Towers in the Mist (Elizabeth Goudge, 1938)
The Travelling Hornplayer (Barbara Trapido, 1998)
Where the Rivers Meet (John Wain, 1988)
The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, 1908) — Grahame is buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford
A Young Oxford Maid (Sarah Tytler)
Zuleika Dobson (Max Beerbohm, 1911)

Propedia

Part One. Matter and Energy

Division I. Atoms: Atomic Nuclei, Elementary Particles
- 111. The Structure and Properties of Atoms
- 112. The Atomic Nucleus and Elementary Particles

Division II. Energy, Radiation, and the States and Transformations of Matter
- 121. Chemical Elements: Periodic Variation in Their Properties
- 122. Chemical Compounds: Molecular Structure and Chemical Bonding
- 123. Chemical Reactions
- 124. Heat, Thermodynamics, and the Nonsolid States of Matter
- 125. The Solid State of Matter
- 126. Mechanics of Particles, Rigid Bodies, and Deformable Bodies: Elasticity, Vibrations, and Flow
- 127. Electricity and Magnetism
- 128. Waves and Wave Motion

Division III. The Universe: Galaxies, Stars, the Solar System
- 131. The Cosmos
- 132. Galaxies and Stars
- 133. The Solar System

Part Two. The Earth

Division I. The Earth's Properties, Structure, and Composition
- 211. The Planet Earth
- 212. The Earth's Physical Properties
- 213. The Structure and Composition of the Earth's Interior
- 214. The Earth's Constituent Minerals and Rocks

Division II. The Earth's Envelope: Its Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
- 221. The Atmosphere
- 222. The Hydrosphere: the Oceans, Freshwater Bodies, and Ice Masses
- 223. Weather and Climate

Division III. The Earth's Surface Features
- 231. Physical features of the Earth's Surface
- 232. Features Produced by Geomorphic Processes Acting on the Earth's Surface

Division IV. The Earth's History
- 241. origin and Development of the Earth and Its Envelopes
- 242. The Interpretation of the Geologic Record
- 243. The Eras and Periods of Geologic Time

Part Three. Life on Earth

Division I. The Nature and Diversity of Living Things
- 311. Characteristics of Living Things
- 312. The Origin of Life and the Evolution of Living Things
- 313. The Classification of Living Things

Division II. The Molecular Basis of Vital Processes
- 321. Chemicals and the Vital Processes
- 322. Metabolism: Bioenergetics and Biosynthesis
- 323. Vital Processes at the Molecular Level

Division III. The Structures and Functions of Organisms
- 331. The Cellular Basis of Form and Function
- 332. The Relation of Form and Function in Organisms
- 333. Coordination of Vital Processes: Regulation and Integration
- 334. Covering and Support: Integumentary, Skeletal, and Musculatory Systems
- 335. Nutrition: the Procurement and Processing of Nutrients
- 336. Gas exchange, Internal Transport, and Elimination
- 337. Reproduction and Sex
- 338. Development: Growth, Differentiation, and Morphogenesis
- 339. Heredity: the Transmission of Traits

Division IV. Behavioral Responses of Organisms
- 341. Nature and Pattern of Behavioral Responses
- 342. Development and Range of Behavioral Capacities: Individual and Group Behaviour

Division V. The Biosphere:the World of Living Things
- 351. Basic Features of the Biosphere
- 352. Biological Populations and Communities
- 353. Hazards of Life in the Biosphere: Disease and Death
- 354. Biogeographic Distribution of Organisms: Ecosystems
- 355. The Place of Humans in the Biosphere

Part Four. Human Life

Division I. Stages in the Development of Human Life on Earth
- 411. Human Evolution
- 412. Human Heredity: the Races of Mankind

Division II. The Human Organism: Health and Disease
- 421. The Structures and Functions of the Human Body
- 422. Human Health
- 423. Human Diseases
- 424. The Practice of Medicine and the Care of Health

Division III. Human Behaviour and Experience
- 431. Human Nature and Experience: General Considerations
- 432. Influence of the Current Environment on a Person's Behaviour and Conscious Experience: Attention, Sensation, and Perception
- 433. Current Internal States Affecting a Person's Behaviour and Conscious Experience
- 434. Persisting Capacities and Inclinations That Influence Human Behaviour and Conscious Experience
- 435. Development of a Person's Potentials: Learning and Thinking
- 436. Personality and the Self: Integration and Disintegration of the Person as a Whole

Part Five. Human Society

Division I. Social Groups: Peoples and Cultures
- 511. Peoples and Cultures of the World
- 512. The Development of Human Culture
- 513. Major Cultural Components and Institutions of Human Societies
- 514. Language and Communication

Division II. Social Organization and Social Change
- 521. Social Structure and Change
- 522. The Group Structure of Society
- 523. Social Status
- 524. Human Populations: Urban and Rural Communities

Division III. The Production, Distirbution, and Utilization of Wealth
- 531. Economic Concepts, Issues, and Systems
- 532. The Consumer and the Market: Pricing and the Mechanims for Distributing Goods
- 533. The Organization of Production and Distribution
- 534. The Distribution of Income and Wealth
- 535. Macroeconomics
- 536. Economic Growth and Planning

Division IV. Politics and Government
- 541. Political theory
- 542. Political Institutions: the Structure, Branches, and Offices of Government
- 543. The Functioning of Government: the Dynamics of the Political Process
- 544. International Relations: Peace and War

Division V. Law
- 551. Philosophies and Systems of Law; the Practice of Law
- 552. Branches of Public Law, Substantive and Procedural
- 553. Branches of Private Law, Substantive and Procedural

Division VI. Education
- 561. The Aims and Organization of Education
- 562. Education Around the World

Part Six. Art

Division I. Art in General
- 611. Theory and Classification of the Arts
- 612. Experience and criticism of Works of Art; the Nonaesthetic Context of Art
- 613. Characteristics of the Arts in Particular Cultures

Division II. The Particular Arts
- 621. Literature
- 622. Theatre
- 623. Motion Pictures
- 624. Music
- 625. Dance
- 626. Architecture, Garden and Landscape Design, and Urban Design
- 627. Sculpture
- 628. Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, and Photography
- 629. Arts of Decoration and Functional Design

Part Seven. Technology

Division I. The Nature and Development of Technology
- 711. Technology: Its Scope and History
- 712. The Organization of Human Work

Division II. Elements of Technology
- 721. Technology of Energy Conversion and Utilization
- 722. Technology of Tools and Machines
- 723. Technology of Measurement, Observation, and Control
- 724. Extraction and Conversion of Industrial Raw Materials
- 725. Technology of Industrial Production Processes

Division III. Major Fields of Technology
- 731. Agriculture and Food Production
- 732. Technology of the Major Industries
- 733. Construction Technology
- 734. Transportation Technology
- 735. Technology of Information processing and of Communications Systems
- 736. Military Technology
- 737. Technology of the Urban Community
- 738. Technology of Earth and Space Exploration

Part Eight. Religion

Division I. Religion in General
- 811. Knowledge and Understanding of Religion
- 812. The Religious Life: Institutions and Practices

Division II. The Particular Religions
- 821. Prehistoric Religion and Primitive Religion
- 822. Religions of Ancient Peoples
- 823. Hinduism and Other Religions of India
- 824. Buddhism
- 825. Indigenous Religions of East Asia: Religions of China, Korea, and Japan
- 826. Judaism
- 827. Christianity
- 828. Islām
- 829. Other Religions and Religious Movements in the Modern World

Part Nine. The History of Mankind

Division I. Peoples and Civilizations of Ancient Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Europe
- 911. Early peoples and Civilizations of Southwest Asia and Egypt, the Aegean, and North Africa
- 912. Peoples of Ancient Europe and the Classical Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean World to AD 395

Division II. Peoples and Civilizations of Medieval Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia
- 921. Western Europe, the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, and Eastern Europe from AD 395 to c. 1050
- 922. The Formative Period in Islāmic History, from AD 622 to c. 1055
- 923. Western Christendom in the High and Later Middle Ages (c. 1050 - c. 1500)
- 924. The Crusading Movement, the Islāmic States of Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Europe, and the States of Eastern Christendom from c. 1050 to c. 1480

Division III. Peoples and Traditional Civilizations of East, Central, South, and Southeast Asia
- 931. China to the Beginning of the Late T'ang (AD 755)
- 932. China from the Late T'ang (AD 755) to the Late Ch'ing (c. 1839)
- 933. Inner (Central and Northeast) Asia to c. 1750
- 934. Japan to the Meiji restoration (1868), and Korea to 1910
- 935. The Indian Subcontinent and Ceylon to c. AD 1200
- 936. The Indian Subcontinent from c. 1200 to 1761, and Ceylon from c. 1200 to 1505
- 937. The Peoples and Civilizations of Southeast Asia to c. 1600

Division IV. Peoples and Civilizations of Sub-Saharan Africa to 1885
- 941. West Africa to c. 1885
- 942. The Nilotic Sudan and Ethiopia from c. AD 550 to 1885
- 943. East Africa and Madagascar to c. 1885
- 944. Central Africa to c. 1885
- 945. Southern Africa to c. 1885

Division V. Peoples and Civilizations of Pre-Columbian America
- 951. Andean Civilization to c. AD 1540
- 952. Meso-American Civilization to c. AD 1540

Division VI. The Modern World to 1920
- 961. Western Europe from c. 1500 to c. 1789
- 962. Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa from c. 1480 to c. 1800
- 963. Europe from 1789 to c. 1920
- 964. European Colonies in the Americas from 1492 to c. 1790
- 965. Development of the United States and Canada from 1763 to 1920
- 966. Development of the Latin-American and Caribbean Nations to c. 1920
- 967. Australia and Oceania to c. 1920
- 968. South Asia Under the Influence of European Imperialism from c. 1500 to c. 1920
- 969. Southeast Asia Under the Influence of European Imperialism to c. 1920
- 96/10. China from 1839 Until the Onset of Revolution (to c. 1911), and Japan from the Meiji restoration to c. 1910
- 96/11. Southwest Asia and North Africa (c. 1800-1920), and Sub-Saharan Africa (1885-c. 1920) Under the Influence of European Imperialism: the Early Colonial Period

Division VII. The World since 1920
- 971. International Movements, Diplomacy, and War Since 1920
- 972. Europe Since c. 1920
- 973. The United States and Canada Since 1920
- 974. Latin-America and Caribbean Nations Since c. 1920
- 975. East Asia: China in Revolution, the Era of Japanese Hegemony, and the Influence of the United States in the 20th Century
- 976. South and Southeast Asia: the Late Colonial Period and the Emergence of New Nations Since 1920
- 977. Australia and Oceania Since 1920
- 978. Southwest Asia and Africa: the Late Colonial Period and the Emergence of New Nations in the 20th Century

Part Ten. The Branches of Knowledge

Division I. Logic
- 10/11. History and Philosophy of Logic
- 10/12. Formal Logic, Metalogic, and Applied Logic

Division II. Mathematics
- 10/21. History and Foundations of Mathematics
- 10/22. Branches of Mathematics
- 10/23. Applications of Mathematics

Division III. Science
- 10/31. History and Philosophy of Science
- 10/32. The Physical Sciences
- 10/33. The Earth Sciences
- 10/34. The Biological Sciences
- 10/35. Medicine and Affiliated Disciplines
- 10/36. The Social Sciences and Psychology and Linguistics
- 10/37. The Technological Sciences

Division IV. History and the Humanities
- 10/41. Historiography and the Study of History
- 10/42. The Humanities and Humanistic Scholarship

Division V. Philosophy
- 10/51. History of Philosophy
- 10/52. The Nature and Divisions of Philosophy
- 10/53. Philosophical Schools and Doctrines

Division VI. Preservation of Knowledge
- 10/61. Institutions and Techniques for the Collection, Storage, Dissemination, and Preservation of Knowledge