Background and Historical Development

Originally published in 1966, this book studied the background against which libraries in England have developed since classical times and the part they played in the formation of 20th Century bibliographic culture and bibliomania.

Part 1: The Power of the Written Book

Part 1 discusses the power of the written book in antiquity and follows the story from Greek and Roman times to Roman Britain and through Saxon and Medieval England to the Reformation.

Part 2: The Study and Domestic Library of the Englishman

Part 2 traces the history of the Englishman’s study and his domestic library from its beginning to Victorian days and reveals how intimately it is related to our literature and culture. The spread of the art of reading in the 15th Century and its expansion among people of all classes in the 18th and 19th centuries are discussed in detail.