HIST 111: Introduction to Western Civilization (HC)

Throughout human history, the world's knowledge and fruits of the creative imagination have been produced, circulated and received through the medium of the material text. This Companion provides a wide-ranging account of the history of the book and its ways of thinking about works from ancient inscription to contemporary e-books, discussing thematic, chronological and methodological aspects of this interdisciplinary field. See in particular "Handwriting and the Book" and "The Coming of Print to Europe."

This multivolume history presents an overview of the social, political and cultural developments in Britain involved in the dissemination and reception of the written word. The emphasis in these collections of essays is on the demand and use of books and the book trade.
Volume 3, 1400-1557
Volume 4, 1557-1695

Each of the 100 sections focuses on one book that represents a particular development in the evolution of books and in turn, world history and society. Titles include the first book of astronomy and the first book of anatomy as well as the first printed blockbuster and the first joke book.

This title covers the book, broadly conceived, throughout the world from ancient to modern times. For this class, see its treatment of palaeography, the history of printing, and the history of the book. The second part of the Companion comprises an A-Z section of over 5,000 entries on every aspect of this exceptionally rich and diverse subject, ranging from brief definitions and biographical entries to more extensive treatments of up to 2,000 words.

This bibliographic essay from Oxford Bibliographies Online Renaissance and Reformation summarizes the scholarly discussions around the development of printing. The essay also identifies individual books and articles which are most important for a current understanding of the questions.

A print is a pictorial image that has been produced by a process that enables it to be multiplied, and many of the best-known works by some of the world's greatest artists are prints. Yet little is understood about this popular art form. Now Antony Griffiths provides an excellent introduction for anyone who wishes to acquire a basic understanding of prints and printmaking.