Books: A Living History

Lavishly illustrated, this beautifully produced volume is a feast for traditional book lovers as well as an inspiration for those excited by the information revolution.

For two and a half thousand years, books have been used to entertain, to govern, to record, to educate and to worship – one of the most versatile, useful and enduring technologies ever invented.

Books: A Living History charts the evolution and influence of books, from Sumerian clay tablets through the development of moveable type to the emergence of eBooks and digital technology. The carefully selected illustrations include Mayan codices, Egyptian papyrus scrolls, medieval illuminated manuscripts, printing by Gutenberg and Aldus Manutius, children’s books, dime novels, Japanese manga and works of fiction from Don Quixote to Level 26, the world’s first ‘digi-novel’, and beyond.