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12 Oak Knoll Press
Books as History
The Importance of Books Beyond Their Text
by David Pearson
This third edition of David Pearson’s Books as History includes a
new foreword, an updated list of further reading, and various other
additions and updates. Updated in light of the recent development
of the e-book, this version will offer new ideas on the life of the
book, and thoughts on how the book will survive.
Books have been hugely
important in human civilization
as instruments for communicating
information and ideas.
The digital age has caused the
landscape of books to change,
with more and more of the traditional
functions of books being
performed electronically. People
usually think of books in terms of
their contents or texts, but in fact,
books possess all kinds of potentially
interesting qualities beyond
their texts as designed or artistic
objects with unique properties
deriving from the ways they have
been printed, bound, annotated, beautified, or defaced.
David Pearson explores these themes and uses many examples of books from the Middle Ages to the present day to show
why books are interesting beyond their texts. As the format of the book becomes history and as texts are increasingly communicated
electronically, we can recognize that books are also history in another significant way. Books can develop their own
individual histories that provide important evidence about the way they were used and regarded in the past, making them an
indispensable part of the fabric of our cultural heritage. This book raises
awareness of an important aspect of the life of books in the context of the
ongoing debate about their future. Extensively illustrated with a wide
range of images, it is not only approachable but also thought-provoking.
David Pearson is Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries at
the City of London Corporation, with extensive experience of managing
and working in major research collections. He is also a respected
scholar in the field of book history, whose articles and books have
focused on various aspects of the ownership and binding of books.
2012, paperback, 8.75 x 9.5 inches, 208 pages
ISBN 9781584563150, Order No. 109790, $29.95
Available outside North and South America from The British Library
Available in November 2012
“The whole effort is richly illustrated with the kind of superlative examples that one might imagine at the command of a
London bookman at the top of his game. Books as History is an absolute must for all libraries supporting information science
or the study of book history. Schools with strong liberal arts programs will want to add this to their collections as well.”
– P.L. Holmer, Southern Connecticut State University, CHOICE
Available online at www.oakknoll.com/fall2012