The Smithsonian Book of Books [Hardcover]

Michael Olmert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2003

Through more than 300 glorious illustrations from library collections around the globe, you'll discover a wealth of book lore in these pages and gain a new appreciation for the role of books in human society, from our earliest attempts at writing and recording information to the newest electronic books; from sumptuous illuminated and bejeweled medieval manuscripts to Gutenberg and the invention of movable type; from the diverse arts and crafts of bookmaking to the building of magnificent libraries for housing treasured volumes; from the ancient epic of Gilgamesh to the plays of Shakespeare and the tales of Beatrix Potter; and from the earliest illustrated books to revolutionary science texts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This copiously illustrated celebration of books and the printed word crams a wealth of information into 320 pages studded with 311 color plates. With infectious enthusiasm and an easy conversational flow, Olmert, who teaches Shakespeare at the University of Maryland, traces the history and influence of books from ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls through Chinese movable type to the modern book fair. Sections cover a great diversity of topics: the origins of writing, medieval ledger books, the Gutenberg revolution, the Bible, Islamic books, Shakespeare's relationship to printing, Mother Goose and children's books, William Morris, the first great dictionaries and encyclopedias, the earthshaking tomes of Copernicus and Darwin, modern printing methods, the publishing industry. Illustrations feature Mayan codices, Indian miniatures, the earliest known Beowulf manuscript, Durer, Raphael, Audubon, Thomas Hart Benton, Ben Shahn, Maurice Sendak. A feast for booklovers, this volume affirms the power of books to change the world and our lives.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

There is a common misconception about books which look good on coffee tables that they must be intellectually deficient and lacking in content. That premise certainly doesn't hold true for this enjoyable publication. Its scope is broad, for it includes information not only on the history of books but also on the evolution of the printing industry, libraries, medieval illumination and modern illustration, the book trade (including book fairs and bookstores), problems with bookworms (genus Anobium , not avid readers), and methods of conservation. The illustrations, most of which are in color, are taken from such sources as Pompeian walls, papyrus scrolls, medieval parchment and vellum manuscripts, woodcuts, frescoes, and panel paintings. If the author errs, it is in trying to present too much information and in sometimes failing to define terms adequately. Nonetheless, this is a fine addition to any library and should appeal especially to book collectors, librarians, and--because of its many illustrations--art historians and picture researchers.
- Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books; First Edition edition (September 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089599030X
• ISBN-13: 978-0895990303
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 1 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Books

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bookworm's delight, April 8, 2004

By 

JLind555 - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Smithsonian Book of Books (Hardcover)

Gorgeously illustrated with pictures from library collections all over the world, "The Smithsonian Book of Books" is a bibliophile's paradise. As Michael Olmert shows us, books became one of the world's most powerful means of disseminating information and entertainment. Can anybody imagine life without books?

We learn how books developed from the papyrus and parchment rolls of the Egyptians and Greeks to the Roman codex, which transformed the book into the shape we know today, and how "people of the Book" -- Christians, Jews and Muslims, produced glorious volumes meant to teach the word of God. But these masterpieces were made by hand, every word and every stitch; they weren't for the the great unwashed masses. The Middle Ages, with their gloriously illuminated religious tomes sandwiched between jeweled covers that were worth a prince's ransom, turned out books that were museum pieces; some more famous examples of illumination were the "Tres Riches Heures of Jean Duc of Berry", and the Irish "Book of Kells". The spread of handwritten books for keeping accounts made possible the development and spread of commerce during the Renaissance. But the Gutenberg revolution, the development of movable type, brought books down from the rarefied atmosphere of prized possessions for the rich alone, and made books and the dissemination of knowledge and information available to everyone.

Olmert relates in detail how books were made, the development of different typefaces, and writes two fascinating chapters on the crafts of bookmaking and bookbinding. There are also chapters on the role of illustration in books by etching and engraving as well as drawing and painting, and how illustrations in texts were used to teach as well as embellish. There's a nice chapter on children's books and how picture books progressed from the woodcuts of the 17th century to "Where the Wild Things Are" in our own time. And a whole chapter is devoted to what Olmert considers the most important book ever written, and no, it's not the Bible -- it's the dictionary.

Olmert ends with the observation of the timeless of books. There is no "sell-by" date on any book, he tell us, because every book can tell future generations something about us. In a way, we are the sum of what we read.

Books are so much a part of life now that they are available to everyone everywhere, from rare book sellers to the online supermarket to the corner newspaper store, and at every price from zillions of dollars for museum masterpieces to a few dollars for throwaway paperbacks. Only one kind of book is missing from this excellent volume and that is the development of the e-book. Olmert may not have seen it coming, as his book was published in 1992, but it's hard to see how scrolling through e-books will ever replace the fun of turning pages. How, on a rainy day, does one curl up with an e-book?

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just How Special Books Were, September 20, 2000

By 

taking a rest - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Smithsonian Book of Books (Hardcover)

The contemporary books we buy today fill many categories, and while they may be special for a variety of reasons, their mass production that condemns them to a comparatively brief life, also is the cause of how visually dismal they are.

There are some small private presses that still produce books as artisans, some even completely by hand, but the product is often well beyond the budgets of all but affluent collectors. Reading a work by Dickens is undeniably a thrill, but even Dickens believed his books were enhanced with imagery, so artists were part of his books, fellow craftsmen he chose to compliment his tales.

This book by Michael Olmert is for people who love books for not just what they contain, but the manner in which they were presented. Mr. Olmert also provides a very readable history of books from long before Guttenberg printed his Bible, from a time when a book was done by hand, every letter, every stitch.

This book presents some of the greatest rarities that have been preserved, so while you may covet a Book Of Hours, A Book Of Kells, or an illuminated page that rivals the art placed on canvas, your savings are safe. This is "The Smithsonian Book Of Books" so nobody can take any of these treasures home.

Mr. Olmert states, "The book is perhaps humankind's most powerful intellectual creation". A rather daring claim, but this book backs it well.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read, September 6, 2007

By 

A. Bredahl - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Smithsonian Book of Books (Hardcover)

I had been assigned this book for a college course on (duh) the history of books. Before the semester had started, I had actually read the entire book, really geeky yes, but it was a wonderful book! It was engaging and full of images. It made me forget that I was actually learning something! I would highly recommend this book to anyone.