Category Archives: History of the Book

Manuscript Studies and Multispectral Imaging

Posted on December 8, 2011 by briansandberg

Manuscript studies are going hi-tech. Historical researchers working on manuscripts from the ancient, medieval, and early modern periods can now utilize sophisticated imaging instruments to reveal traces of ink and other materials that have faded and are no longer legible. … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, History of the Book | Leave a comment

Book Covers and the E-Book Revolution

Posted on December 4, 2011 by briansandberg

As the ongoing e-book revolution spreads, many authors and readers lament the possible demise of printed books. Despite growing e-book sales, publishers seem to have found robust niche markets for printed books.  Well-designed book covers and aesthetic features in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, History of the Book, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

French Intellectuals in the Media

Posted on October 5, 2011 by briansandberg

France has long had a robust history of public intellectuals—Renaissance essayists  such as Michel de Montaigne, Enlightenment philosophes such as Voltaire, and modern philosophers such as Sartre. Tony Judt and other French historians have traced the developments in modern French … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, European History, French History, History in the Media, History of the Book, Human Rights | Leave a comment

A Publishing Revival

Posted on August 9, 2011 by briansandberg

Publishers have been complaining for years of a publishing crisis, while pundits portend the end of the physical book.  The financial crisis of 2008 fueled increased apocalyptic fears among many writers and editors, which were later heightened by the bankruptcy … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, History of the Book | Leave a comment

E-Book Revolution Transforms Publishing Course

Posted on July 19, 2011 by briansandberg

An e-book revolution has been gathering steam and transforming the world of books for at least a decade now.  Academic researchers and writers have been following the changes closely, and participating in many of the new initiatives.  Historians have participated … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, History of the Book | Leave a comment

Illustrated Architecture Books

Posted on May 2, 2011 by briansandberg

An exhibition entitled Illustrated Architecture Books: Highlights from 500 Years of Theory and Practices at the University of Illinois at Chicago celebrates the 500th anniversary of the publication of the 1511 illustrated edition of Vitruvius’s classic architectural treatise. The Illustrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, History in the Media, History of the Book, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

“Books as Bombs”

Posted on April 11, 2011 by briansandberg

The potential of books to shape ideas and policies is often debated, but a new piece on “books as bombs” in the Independent offers a short introduction to the issue—using Catch-22 as a key example. Check out the piece on … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, History in the Media, History of the Book, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Robert Darnton on the Google Books Settlement

Posted on March 24, 2011 by briansandberg

French historian Robert Darnton, who is Director of the Harvard University Library, assesses this week’s court decision throwing out the Google Books settlement in an op-ed in the New York Times. Darnton’s expertise on the history of the book and … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, French History, History of the Book, Humanities Education | Leave a comment