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About The Smithsonian Book Of Books
Product 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. From Publishers Weekly This copiously illustrated celebration of books and the printed word crams a wealth of information into 320 pages studded with 311 color plates. With infectious enthusiasm and an easy conversational flow, Olmert, who teaches Shakespeare at the University of Maryland, traces the history and influence of books from ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls through Chinese movable type to the modern book fair. Sections cover a great diversity of topics: the origins of writing, medieval ledger books, the Gutenberg revolution, the Bible, Islamic books, Shakespeare's relationship to printing, Mother Goose and children's books, William Morris, the first great dictionaries and encyclopedias, the earthshaking tomes of Copernicus and Darwin, modern printing methods, the publishing industry. Illustrations feature Mayan codices, Indian miniatures, the earliest known Beowulf manuscript, Durer, Raphael, Audubon, Thomas Hart Benton, Ben Shahn, Maurice Sendak. A feast for booklovers, this volume affirms the power of books to change the world and our lives. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal There is a common misconception about books which look good on coffee tables that they must be intellectually deficient and lacking in content. That premise certainly doesn't hold true for this enjoyable publication. Its scope is broad, for it includes information not only on the history of books but also on the evolution of the printing industry, libraries, medieval illumination and modern illustration, the book trade (including book fairs and bookstores), problems with bookworms (genus Anobium , not avid readers), and methods of conservation. The illustrations, most of which are in color, are taken from such sources as Pompeian walls, papyrus scrolls, medieval parchment and vellum manuscripts, woodcuts, frescoes, and panel paintings. If the author errs, it is in trying to present too much information and in sometimes failing to define terms adequately. Nonetheless, this is a fine addition to any library and should appeal especially to book collectors, librarians, and--because of its many illustrations--art historians and picture researchers. - Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review “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 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.
