The Book History Reader [Paperback]

David Finkelstein (Editor), Alistair McCleery (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415226589 | ISBN-13: 978-0415226585 | Edition: 1

The Book History Reader brings together a rich variety of writings examining different aspects of the history of books and print culture, much of which is otherwise inaccessible. It looks at the development of the book, the move from spoken word to written texts, the commodification of books and authors, the power and profile of readers, and the future of the book in the electronic age. The Reader is arranged in thematic sections and features a general introduction as well as an introduction to each section.
This pioneering book is a valuable resource for all those involved in book publishing studies and book history as well as students of English literature, cultural studies, sociology and history.
Essays by: Thomas Adams and Nicholas Barker, Richard Altick, Roland Barthes, C.A. Bayly, Pierre Bourdieu, John Brewer, Michel de Certeau, Roger Chartier, Robert Darnton, Elizabeth Eisenstein, Lucien Febrve and Henri-Jean Martin, N.N. Feltes, Kate Flint, Stanley Fish, Michel Foucault, Wolfgang Iser, Adrian Johns, Jerome McGann, Don McKenzie, Jennifer E. Monaghan, Jan Dirk Muller, Walter Ong, Robert Patten, Janice Radway, Jonathan Rose, Mark Rose, John Sutherland, Jane Tompkins, James L.W. West III

Editorial Reviews

Review

""The Book History Reader can fairly claim to be the first comprehensive volume to bring such a variety of texts together. It has been thoughtfully selected and skillfully edited. It will surely appear on all student reading lists for courses related to the history of the book-a subject that has now fulfilled Darnton's prediction that it would establish itself 'alongside the history of science and the history of art in the canon of scholarly discipline'."
-Paul Richardson, "The Times Higher Education Supplement
..."Superb...For those economically, intellectually, and emotionally married to print culture, the prospect of a new bride leaves us cold and nervous. No one knows what will come, but in "The Book History Reader... we can glimpse a world shaped by the digitalized word."
-Jeremy Smith, "The Bay Guardian

About the Author

David Finkelstein is Head of Media and Communication at Queen Margaret University. Alistair McCleery is Professor of Media and Communication at Napier University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (December 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415226589
• ISBN-13: 978-0415226585
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #921,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars pity this is the best such reader available May 13, 2002

By Andrea Boykowycz

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The editors have attempted to cram half a century of various scholarly musings on the written word, the uses of reading and literacy, the materiality and production of books, the reception and interpretation of meaning in books by readers and consumers, and the evolution of print culture into a couple hundred pages of really teeny tiny print. This has required creative editing and the use of FAR too many ellipses -- a number of important pieces are so gutted here that they're rendered almost meaningless, which is worse than frustrating. However, there is no other book available that provides the same kind of overview of the basic relevant literature on these subjects -- and the motivated reader, I hope, will search out the unabridged versions of those articles she finds interesting.