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A Companion to the History of the Book

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A Companion to the History of the Book offers a comprehensive account of the evolution of the book from early Sumerian tablets to electronic texts. Edited by Simon Eliot and Jonathan Rose, it features expert contributors who provide a global and chronological survey, alongside discussions on methods in book history, the role of texts in culture, and broader issues like literacy and copyright.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Ideal for scholars, students, librarians, and anyone with an interest in the history, culture, and future of books and text media.

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From the early Sumerian clay tablet through to the emergence of the electronic text, this Companion provides a continuous and coherent account of the history of the book. A team of expert contributors draws on the latest research in order to offer a cogent, transcontinental narrative.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A Companion to the History of the Book

Edited by Simon Eliot and Jonathan Rose

“As a stimulating overview of the multidimensional present state of the field, the Companion has no peer.” Choice

“If you want to understand how cultures come into being, endure, and change, then you need to come to terms with the rich and often surprising history Of the book ... Eliot and Rose have done a fine job. Their volume can be heartily recommended.”
Adrian Johns, Technology and Culture

From the early Sumerian clay tablet through to the emergence of the electronic text, this Companion provides a continuous and coherent account of the history of the book. A team of expert contributors draws on the latest research in order to offer a cogent, transcontinental narrative. Many of them use illustrative examples and case studies of well-known texts, conveying the excitement surrounding this rapidly developing field.

The Companion is organised around four distinct approaches to the history of the book. First, it introduces the variety of methods used by book historians and allied specialists, from the long-established discipline of bibliography to newer IT-based approaches. Next, it provides a broad chronological survey of the forms and content of texts. The third section situates the book in the context of text culture as a whole, while the final section addresses broader issues, such as literacy, copyright, and the future of the book.

Contributors to this volume:

Michael Albin, Martin Andrews, Rob Banham, Megan L Benton, Michelle P. Brown, Marie-Frangoise Cachin, Hortensia Calvo, Charles Chadwyck-Healey, M. T. Clanchy, Stephen Colclough, Patricia Crain, J. S. Edgren, Simon Eliot, John Feather, David Finkelstein, David Greetham, Robert A. Gross, Deana Heath, Lotte Hellinga, T. H. Howard-Hill, Peter Kornicki, Beth Luey, Paul Luna, Russell L. Martin Ill, Jean-Yves Mollier, Angus Phillips, Eleanor Robson, Cornelia Roemer, Jonathan Rose, Emile G. L Schrijver, David J. Shaw, Graham Shaw, Claire Squires, Rietje van Vliet, James Wald, Rowan Watson, Alexis Weedon, Adriaan van der Weel, Wayne A. Wiegand, Eva Hemmungs Wirtén.

Series: Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a definitive and stimulating volume, this Companion is hailed by Australian Academic & Research Libraries as a sound reference for situating the book historically and sociologically. Libraries & the Cultural Record calls it a must-have for those interested in book history and culture, while Times Literary Supplement highlights its global coverage and accessibility to specialists and non-specialists alike. It also serves as a valuable teaching resource according to Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781405192781

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 March 2009

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Wiley-Blackwell

Contributors:

  • Edited by Simon Eliot
  • Edited by Jonathan Rose

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 168.0mm

Height: 241.0mm

Weight: 975g

Pages: 624

About the Author

Simon Eliot is Professor of the History of the Book in the Institute of English Studies, part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Manuscript and Print Studies. He is General Editor of the new multivolume History of Oxford University Press and editor of the journal Publishing History . His publications include Literary Cultures and the Material Book (2007) and Some Patterns and Trends in British Publishing, 1800-1919 (1994). Jonathan Rose is Professor of History at Drew University. He was the founding president of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing and is co-editor of the journal Book History . His publications include The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes (2001), The Holocaust and the Book: Destruction and Preservation (2001), and British Literary Publishing Houses, 1820-1965 (1991).

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