The Cambridge Companion to the History of the Book

by Leslie Howsam (Editor)

Throughout human history, the world's knowledge and fruits of the creative imagination have been produced, circulated and received through the medium of the material text. This Companion provides a wide-ranging account of the history of the book and its ways of thinking about works from ancient inscription to contemporary e-books, discussing thematic, chronological and methodological aspects of this interdisciplinary field. The first part considers book cultures from local, national and global perspectives. Part two, organized around the dynamic relationship between the material book and the mutable text, develops a loosely chronological narrative from early writing, through manuscript and early printing, to the institution of a mechanized book trade, and on to the globalization of publishing and the introduction of the electronic book. A third part takes a practical turn, discussing methods, sources and bibliographical, archival and reading experience methodologies, as well as pedagogical strategies.

Genres: Books About Books, History, Research, Nonfiction

302 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[Judyta Szacillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title indicates, this book is not a thorough study, not a synthesis, but a companion - a selection of articles about various aspects of the history of books. Of particular interest to me were the chapter on the understanding of the book as entity and its classification by various disciplines of study, and the chapter on the history of materials used in book production.

The quality of the narrative differs from one chapter to another as they are written by different authors, but the quality of the content is what one would expect of a Cambridge publication. Some very amusing trivia are hidden there. Apparently, the Benedictines in medieval England had only one day in a year dedicated to library loans. The first Gutenberg's edition of the Bible - 30 copies altogether - were printed on parchment at a rate of 170 sheep per Bible. Also, the Harvard College Library had very restrictive opening hours in the 18th century: it was open on Fridays, 9 am to 11 am, single occupancy only. I wonder what our students would have to say about that! We're open 10 am to 10 pm during a lockdown caused by global pandemic. If it was not for that, the library would be open 24/7. How times have changed!