The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present.

The history of the book is the history of millions of written, printed, and illustrated texts, their manufacture, distribution, and reception. Yet the history of books is not simply a question of material form. The larger question is of the effect of textual production, distribution, and reception—of how books themselves made history. To this end, each chapter of this volume, succinctly bounded by period and geography, offers incisive and stimulating insights into the relationship between books and the story of their times.