The Smithsonian Book of Books (Hardcover)

By Michael Olmert
$49.95
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Description

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.

About the Author

Michael Olmert is the author of Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella. Christopher de Hamel is Donnelley Fellow Librarian, Corpus Christi College and former curator of Western and Oriental manuscripts at Sotheby's.

Praise for The Smithsonian Book of Books…

“A feast for book lovers.”—Publishers Weekly

“Succeeds beautifully. Olmert’s lively text describes the evolution of the book and its impact on society. . . . Along the way, he surveys early forms of writing, the development of printing, and the arts of papermaking, typography, illustration, and bookbinding.”—Bloomsbury Review

“The ultimate thrill for readers: beautiful, copious illustrations, and text that leaves no page of book history unturned.”—Los Angeles Daily News

Product Details ISBN-10: 089599030X
ISBN-13: 9780895990303
Published: Smithsonian Books, 09/17/2003
Pages: 320
Language: English
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