The Book - A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time

We may love books, but do we know what lies behind them? In The Book, Keith Houston reveals that the paper, ink, thread, glue and board from which a book is made tell as rich a story as the words on its pages-of civilisations, empires, human ingenuity and madness. In an invitingly tactile history of this 2,000-year-old medium, Houston follows the development of writing, printing, the art of illustrations, and binding to show how we have moved from cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls to the hardcovers and paperbacks of today. Sure to delight book lovers of all stripes with its lush, full-colour illustrations, The Book gives us the momentous and surprising history behind humanity's most important-and universal-information technology.

Product details

• Authors: Keith Houston, Houston Keith
• Publisher: Norton and Co Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 13.06.2025
• EAN: 9781324086352
• ISBN: 978-1-324-08635-2
• No. of pages: 448
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Book trade, library system; Popular Culture, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, HISTORY / World, DESIGN / History & Criticism, CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Book Printing & Binding, History of art / art & design styles, General & world history, Industrial / commercial art & design, history of design, General and world history, Book & paper crafts, Book and paper crafts