The Book at War: Libraries and Readers in an Age of Conflict

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

'Rich, authoritative, and highly readable ... [a] tour de force' David Kynaston

Chairman Mao was a librarian. Stalin was a published poet. Evelyn Waugh served as a commando - before leaving to write Brideshead Revisited. Since the advent of modern warfare, books have all too often found themselves on the frontline.

In The Book at War, acclaimed historian Andrew Pettegree traces the surprising ways in which written culture - from travel guides and scientific papers to Biggles and Anne Frank - has shaped, and been shaped, by the vast conflicts of the modern age.

From the American Civil War to the invasion of Ukraine, books, authors and readers have gone to war - and in the process become both deadly weapons and our most persuasive arguments for peace.

Reviews

'In this magisterial study Andrew Pettegree, who recently co-wrote a much lauded global history of the library, surveys how books have been put to work during times of crisis.' - Kathryn Hughes

'Rich, authoritative and highly readable, Andrew Pettegree's tour de force will appeal to anyone for whom, whatever the circumstances, books are an abiding, indispensable part of life.' - David Kynaston

'An endlessly fascinating analysis of the part played in history of libraries and their shelved content' - Neil Hegarty

'This study of the ways books have been used in wartime - to escape, as propaganda, burnt or hidden - is a treasure trove of details ... Pettegree has an eye for memorable facts' - 'Best Books of the Year 2023'

'[A] discursive survey ... looks at everything, from the Nazis' book burning to the manuals used to train jihadists in the use of AK-47 rifles, and the books written and read at home and at the front to bolster spirits' - New Statesman

Author Bio

Andrew Pettegree, FBA, is Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews. He is the co-author of The Library: A Fragile History, and the prize-winning The Book in the Renaissance and The Invention of News. He is a former Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society and founding director of the Universal Short Title Catalogue.