The Book of the British Library

(Hardback)

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Description

As well as holding some of the world's most prized cultural treasures, the British Library is the repository of the nation's collective memory. Owing its origin to the generosity and far-sightedness of a handful of eighteenth-century scholars and booklovers, and built up over 250 years, the Library's very extensive collections - of books, manuscripts, maps, music, newspapers, photographs, sound recordings, stamps, and digital media - offer keys to the understanding of human achievement in literature, art, music, politics, journalism, exploration and much else, from ancient times to the present day. In this highly illustrated book Michael Leapman tells the Library's story, highlighting the most significant and beautiful items in its care, as well as exploring some of the lesser known, more surprising artifacts housed in its iconic building in the heart of London.

Reviews

"Leapman successfully presents a balanced and knowledgeable history of the British Library, its formation, and its development, while simultaneously features an astounding mixture of institutional high spots: Gutenberg, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Caxton, Keats, the Bronts, Lewis Carroll, Kipling, and more. Leapman also surprises readers by highlighting obscure gems, such as Beethoven's tuning fork, the first edition of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, and an advertisement for Vaseline. This volume is generously illustrated with crisp images of books, bindings, manuscripts, objects, and portraits of important figures in the institution's history. . . . A treat for bibliophiles and librarians, this volume is also suited to more casual readers interested in English history. Recommended."--R. M. Roberts, Lincoln Land Community College "Choice"
"Plentifully and beautifully illustrated, The Book of the British Library is a pleasure to dip into. . . . Leapman works hard to string together the many pearls of the collection."--Jason Scott-Warren "Times Literary Supplement"

Author Bio

Michael Leapman has written or edited 18 books on an eclectic range of subjects, including The World for a Shilling: How the Great Exhibition of 1851 Shaped a Nation (2001), Inigo: The Troubled Life of Inigo Jones, Architect of the English Renaissance (2004), and DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Great Britain (2011).