Headlines predict the death of the printed book, but this ambitious volume celebrates the enduring power of the most efficient and influential technologies ever invented
For more than 2,500 years, the book, in a wide range of forms, has been used to document, to educate and to entertain. This book explores the rich history of the book, one of the most efficient, influential and enduring technologies ever invented.
For more than two and a half thousand years, the book, in a wide range of forms, has been used to document, to educate and to entertain.
The eminent authority Martyn Lyons charts the worldwide evolution of the book through the centuries, from the cuneiform tablets of ancient Sumer through the development of moveable type and the emergence of the modern information revolution. Among the carefully selected illustrations in this tome are Mayan codices, Egyptian papyrus scrolls, medieval illuminated manuscripts, masterpieces of early printing from Gutenberg and Aldus Manutius, atlases from the great age of travel and exploration, primers and children's books, dime novels and Japanese manga, and works of fiction ranging from Don Quixote to Level 26, the world's first 'digi-novel', and beyond.
At a time when daily headlines widely predict the death of the printed book, this volume celebrates the book's enduring power and magic, whatever its future form may be.
'The perfect book for bibliophiles … elegantly designed and produced' - The Oldie
'Admirably international in its scope … fascinating' - Scotsman
'Opulently illustrated … a feast for book lovers everywhere, this richly informative volume celebrates the enduring power of books throughout the ages and stakes its claim to a similar role in ages yet to come' - Good Book Guide
Martin Lyons is Professor in the School of History and Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He has published widely on the history of books and reading, including Readers and Society in Nineteenth-Century France: Workers, Women, Peasants and Ordinary Writings, Personal Narratives: Writing Practices in 19th- and Early 20th-Century Europe.
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