An Introduction to Book History

An Introduction to Book History
by David Finkelstein, Alistair McCleery

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Book Summary Information

Author: Alistair McCleery, David Finkelstein
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-07-12
ISBN: 0415314437
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Routledge

Book Reviews of An Introduction to Book History

Book Review: A Good Introduction
Summary: 3 Stars

Finklestein and McCleery's "An Introduction to Book History" is a very good introduction to the history of books, book production and the history of reading. I really enjoyed how the author's summarized and provided conclusions for each chapter of the book. Though a short text there is a wealth of information about the origins of both writing and books. The authors also provided citations to other, more specific works on book history.

What I did not like however, is that Finklestein and McCleery focus almost exclusively on the "history of the theory of book history". Though I suppose for an introductory text this is to be expected. I felt there was not enough focus on how the book has changed throughout history. There is information on how people consumed books, but there is only scant on how books were produced.

Overall, I felt this was a worthwhile introduction to book history but was lacking due to its brevity in the treatment of certain topics in book history. Having used this book for a grad school course I kept it mostly for its references to other works on book history.

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Summary of An Introduction to Book History

An Introduction to Book History provides a comprehensive critical introduction to the development of the book and print culture. David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery chart the move from the 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.

Sections include:
§ The History of the Book
§ Orality to Literacy
§ Literacy to Printing
§ Authors, authorship and authority
§ Printers, Booksellers, Publishers, and Agents
§ Readers and reading
§ The Future of the Book

An Introduction to Book History will be an ideal guide to this exciting field of study, and is designed as a companion text to The Book History Reader.

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