The field of particle physics is a vast one, and to do proper justice to this field, many volumes will have to be written. That would be a very ambitious project. Our aim is a modest one. This is not a book from which one can learn particle physics and certainly not one for experts in the field. Its targets are the nonspecialists. What we have attempted, is to provide the essential information in a handbook of limited size, restricted to fewer than five hundred pages. The three chapters of the book are devoted to brief descriptions of (1) a historical overview of developments in particle physics as a whole, (2) the historical development of accelerators to reach high energies, and (3) the historical develop-ment of multi-purpose detectors for making experimental observations in particle physics. These are followed by a Glossary, explaining items of interest in particle physics (including its peculiar jargons), arranged in alphabetical order for ease of retrieval, and addressed to the general body of scientists with relevant mathematical and technical training. It is hoped that it can serve as a source of information on particle physics, not only to the general body of physicists, but also to graduate students in particle physics, who want to get to the heart of the matter quickly, without wading through large amounts of material in text books on the subject. It is hoped that it will also serve as a handy reference for others. The level of presentation is at an advanced stage, assuming basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and relativity, as is available in most graduate curricula.