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.
- Makes use of illustrative examples and case studies of well-known texts
- Written by a group of expert contributors
- Covers topical debates, such as the nature of censorship and the future of the book
From the early Sumerian clay tablet through to the emergence of the electronic text, this Blackwell Companion provides a continuous and coherent account of the history of books. The volumersquo;s expert contributors draw on the latest research in order to offer a cogent, transcontinental narrative. Many of them make use of illustrative examples and case studies of well-known texts, helping to convey to readers a sense of excitement and a feel for how fast this field is developing. The Companion is organized around four distinct ways of approaching the history of books. Firstly, it introduces the variety of methods used by book historians and allied specialists to investigate their subject, 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 the nature of authorship and the future of the book.
