Books – A Living History - Hardcover

Lyons, .

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 160606083X ISBN 13: 9781606060834

Publisher: Getty Publications, 2011

Synopsis

From the first scribbling on papyrus to the emergence of the e-book, this wide-ranging overview of the history of the book provides a fascinating look at one of the most efficient, versatile, and enduring technologies ever developed. The author traces the evolution of the book from the rarefied world of the hand-copied and illuminated volume in ancient and medieval times, through the revolutionary impact of Gutenberg s invention of the printing press, to the rise of a publishing culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the subsequent impact of new technologies on this culture.

Many of the great individual titles of the past two millennia are discussed as well as the range of book types and formats that have emerged in the last few hundred years, from serial and dime novels to paperbacks, children s books, and Japanese manga. The volume ends with a discussion of the digital revolution in book production and distribution and the ramifications for book lovers, who can t help but wonder whether the book will thrive or even survive in a form they recognize."

About this title

Review:

"An ambitious, beautifully illustrated work."--"Choice"

"A profusion of bibliophilic eye-candy."--"College & Research Library News"

"An excellent introduction to the history, terminology, and trends in writing and reading books."--"Fine Books & Collections"

""

""Books: A Living History" celebrates the history and magic of the book, from cuneiform tablets to Harry Potter, looking along the way at related trends in literacy rates, the growth of new genres and book-related industries over the centuries, and printing revolutions."--"Book News"

"Besides giving us a visual journey of the book as a beautiful, aesthetic object, Lyons also shows how influential the book has been in shaping human history for 2,500 years." "Shelf Awareness""

A profusion of bibliophilic eye-candy. "College & Research Library News""

"Books: A Living History" celebrates the history and magic of the book, from cuneiform tablets to Harry Potter, looking along the way at related trends in literacy rates, the growth of new genres and book-related industries over the centuries, and printing revolutions. "Book News""

"In this sumptuously illustrated history of the book, Lyons covers a millennia of changes, from ancient Mesopotamian carvings to Gutenberg's innovations in printing, through the computer age and the advent of the Internet and e-readers." "Publishers Weekly""

An excellent introduction to the history, terminology, and trends in writing and reading books. "Fine Books & Collections"

"""

An ambitious, beautifully illustrated work. "Choice""

About the Author:

Martyn Lyons is professor of history at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and the author of A History of Reading and Writing in the Western World (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) and Reading Culture and Writing Practices in Nineteenth-Century France (University of Toronto Press, 2008).

About this edition

• Publisher: Getty Publications
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 160606083X
• ISBN 13: 9781606060834
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224