David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery - An Introduction to Book History (Routledge, 2005).

ISBN: 9780415314435 | 168 pages | PDF


An Introduction to Book History provides a comprehensive critical introduction to the development of the book and print culture.  Finkelstein and McCleery chart the move from spoken word to written texts, the coming of print, the book as commodity, the power and profile of readers, and the future of the book in the electronic age.  Each section begins with a summary of the chapter's aims and contents, followed by a detailed discussion of the relevant issues, concluding with a summary of the chapter and suggestions for further reading.

Sections include:
* the history of the book
* orality to Literacy
* literacy to printing
* authors, authorship and authority
* printers, booksellers, publishers, agents
* readers and reading
* the future of the book


Reviews

"Finkelstein and McCleery have written an excellent introduction to the history of the book. This concise volume covers the major aspects of book history to introduce the novice or to refresh the memory of the scholar. . .  The book as a whole provides a starting place for further discussion and exploration into the history of literacy, the book, and ideas about reading and text." -- Millie Jackson, Libraries and the Cultural Record

"The tracing of history, historiography, and competing views is engaging." -- Journalism History