The Cambridge Companion to the History of the Book

Throughout human history, the world’s knowledge and fruits of the creative
imagination have been produced, circulated and received through the medium
of the material text. This Companion provides a wide-ranging account of the
history of the book and its ways of thinking about works from ancient inscription
to contemporary e-books, discussing thematic, chronological and methodological
aspects of this interdisciplinary field. The first part considers book cultures
from local, national and global perspectives. Part two, organized around the
dynamic relationship between the material book and the mutable text, develops
a loosely chronological narrative from early writing, through manuscript and
early printing, to the institution of a mechanized book trade, and on to the
globalization of publishing and the introduction of the electronic book. A third
part takes a practical turn, discussing methods, sources and approaches: bibliographical,
archival and reading experience methodologies, as well as pedagogical
strategies.