Author Description
How were books in early modern England made, circulated, sold, stored, read, marked, altered, preserved, and destroyed? The Oxford Handbook to the History of the Book in Early Modern England provides a stimulating account of the very newest work in the field, and an exploration of how new thinking might develop. Written by scholars working at the cutting-edge of the subject, from the UK and North America, the volume combines lucidity, scholarly expertise, intellectual precision, and an imaginative structure that will enable contributors to show why the history of the book matters. This volume analyses in a lively manner the nature and role of the book in early modern England, and also considers critically how we can talk about the history of book.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the material, social, and intellectual life of the book in early modern England, questioning how these objects were produced, consumed, and preserved. Edited by Adam Smyth, the work gathers contributions from leading scholars in the United Kingdom and North America to synthesize current research in the field of book history. The text provides a framework for understanding the book not merely as a static object, but as a dynamic participant in the cultural landscape of the period.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the lifecycle of books, including production, circulation, and destruction.
- Methodological inquiries into how historians interpret the history of the book.
- Interdisciplinary approaches combining literary analysis, material culture, and social history.
Scope Limits
- The volume focuses specifically on the early modern period in England.
- It does not provide an exhaustive catalog of every extant text from the era.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of early modern literature frequently cite this volume as a primary reference for understanding the material conditions of print culture. Experts highlight the text for its rigorous academic standards and its ability to bridge the gap between bibliographical study and broader historical inquiry.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2023-01-01
Publisher:
New York : Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0191881333
ISBN-13:
9780191881336
History
Early Modern
Book History
Literary Criticism
Bibliography