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.

Martyn Lyons, born in London and educated at Oxford, is Professor at the School of History and Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, and 
has held visiting academic posts in France, England, Brazil and Spain. He has published widely on the history of books and reading. His publications include Ordinary Writings, Personal Narratives: Writing Practices in 19th- and Early 20th-Century Europe (2007).

ISBN 9780500251652
25.40 x 19.00 cm
Hardback
224pp
266 Illustrations, 214 in colour