Every individual book has a history which can help us to understand what difference it may have made in the world. Within these pages you will find books damaged by bullets or graffiti, recovered from fire or water, or even disguised as completely different texts for protection in dangerous times. Marks of ownership - be it a rich treasure binding or a humble family inscription - shine a light on social history and literacy, while student doodles from the sixteenth century and a variety of pithy annotations give us a sense of readers through the ages.
We increasingly recognise that the cultural and research value of books lies not just in their printed contents, but in the many other things they can tell us about the ways they have been used, read and regarded. Generously illustrated with examples from the early Middle Ages to the present day, Speaking Volumes presents a fascinating selection of books in both public and private collections whose individual histories tell surprising and illuminating stories, encouraging us to look at and appreciate books in new and non-traditional ways.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Speaking Volumes is an approachable study of a richly rewarding field...A bibliophiles delight, with photographs of bindings, title pages, annotations, illustrations, library shelves, books shot at, fragments rescued from fire, doodles by a child to Isaac Casaubon learned commentary. GBP40 hardback might seem expensive or take up valuable shelf space, but squeeze the purse and shelf, to buy a well-researched book. -- Jeremy Knight
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Fadenheftung
mit Schutzumschlag (bedruckt)
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 249 mm
Breite: 198 mm
Dicke: 27 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-85124-562-8 (9781851245628)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
David Pearson is a leading expert on the history of books, after a lifetime spent working with them, writing about them and owning them. His previous books include 'Provenance Research in Book History' (new edition, Bodleian Library Publishing, 2019) and 'Book Ownership in Stuart England' (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter II: Insights from ownership
Chapter III: Notes on the side
Chapter IV Adding things in, and cutting them out
Chapter V: Outsides of books
Chapter VI: Accidents, incidents, and talismans
Chapter VII: A digital age
Further reading
Picture references
Index
