Introduces readers to the history of books in Britain their significance, influence, and current and future status Presented as a comprehensive, up-to-date narrative, The Book in Britain: A Historical Introduction explores the impact of books, manuscripts, and other kinds of material texts on the cultures and societies of the British Isles. The text clearly explains the technicalities of printing and publishing and discusses the formal elements of books and manuscripts, which are necessary to facilitate an understanding of that impact. This collaboratively authored narrative history combines the knowledge and expertise of five scholars who seek to answer questions such as: How does the material form of a text affect its meaning? How do books shape political and religious movements? How have the economics of the book trade and copyright shaped the literary canon? Who has been included in and excluded from the world of books, and why? The Book in Britain: A Historical Introduction will appeal to all scholars, students, and historians interested in the written word and its continued production and presentation.

Introduces readers to the history of books in Britain--their significance, influence, and current and future statusPresented as a comprehensive, up-to-date narrative, The Book in Britain: A Historical Introduction explores the impact of books, manuscripts, and other kinds of material texts on the cultures and societies of the British Isles. The text clearly explains the technicalities of printing and publishing and discusses the formal elements of books and manuscripts, which are necessary to facilitate an understanding of that impact. This collaboratively authored narrative history combines the knowledge and expertise of five scholars who seek to answer questions such as: How does the material form of a text affect its meaning? How do books shape political and religious movements? How have the economics of the book trade and copyright shaped the literary canon? Who has been included in and excluded from the world of books, and why?The Book in Britain: A Historical Introduction will appeal to all scholars, students, and historians interested in the written word and its continued production and presentation.

Editor's Note viiA Note on Money viiiList of Illustrations xIntroduction 1Part I The Middle Ages and the Renaissance 91 Early Beginnings to the Norman Conquest of 1066 112 From the High Middle Ages to the Coming of Print, 1066-1530 483 Consolidation and Control in the World of Print, 1530-1640 81Part II The Interregnum and the Long Eighteenth Century 1354 Politics and Periodicals, 1641-1695 1375 Partisan Strife and the World of Print, 1695-1740 1776 Managing the Flood of Print, 1740-1780 205Part III From the Nineteenth Century to the Modern Age 2277 Consolidating Change, 1780-1820 2298 The Distribution Revolution: Innovation and Diversity, 1820-1870 2519 The Age of Mass Production, 1870-1920 317Part IV The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 33910 Minority Culture and Popular Print, 1920-1940 34111 The Age of the Mass-Market Paperback, 1940-1970 37112 Big Business and Digital Technology, 1970-2018 413References 461Index 506