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Average Customer Rating:

A Good Introduction

Customer Rating:

Finklestein and McCleery's "An Introduction to Book History" is a very good introduction to the history of books, book production and the history of reading. I really enjoyed how the author's summarized and provided conclusions for each chapter of the book. Though a short text there is a wealth of information about the origins of both writing and books. The authors also provided citations to other, more specific works on book history. What I did not like however, is that Finklestein and McCleery focus almost exclusively on the "history of the theory of book history". Though I suppose for an introductory text this is to be expected. I felt there was not enough focus on how the book has changed throughout history. There is information on how people consumed books, but there is only scant on how books were produced. Overall, I felt this was a worthwhile introduction to book history but was lacking due to its brevity in the treatment of certain topics in book history. Having used this book for a grad school course I kept it mostly for its references to other works on book history.

Not bad for a "companion text"

Customer Rating:

An "Introduction to Book History" is meant to be a companion text to "The Book History Reader," which is, of course, edited by Finklestein and McCleery. Knowing this before I read An Introduction to Book History made me a bit suspicious. The idea of "companion texts" seems to be more of a marketing scheme and of dubious value to the reader. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Finkelstein and McCleery have summarized the most important components of Book History in a readable and well-organized format. Some readers might find the format a bit pedantic, but this format will probably be helpful for undergraduate readers being introduced to Book History for the first time or for those readers who want a general overview of the field. At the beginning of each chapter, Finkelstein and McCleery clearly state their goals for the chapter in question, "This chapter covers the main theories and general themes that have developed in the Book History studies over the past century....After a brief summary of the terminology now commonly used to describe book history at work, the chapter looks at how book historians have characterized different stages in the history of books in Western European culture...."(7). Pedantic? Absolutely, but as I mentioned earlier, this will probably be helpful to the reader making their first encounter with Book History. Readers already familiar with the ins and outs of book history will, undoubtedly, find this book dull and repetitive. But those already familiar with the subject are clearly not the intended audience of "An Introduction to Book History." Chapters address the shift from orality to literacy, the impact of print, the relationship between printers, booksellers, publishers, and agents, and the history of readers and reading. The authors also include a glossary and a fairly detailed bibliography. "An Introduction to Book History" is a slim volume and can easily be read in a single sitting. It will be a good resource for those teaching book history to undergraduates. It is a shame that it is marketed as a "companion text," because it clearly can stand on its own.