Learning and the Market Place : Essays in the History of the Early Modern Book

The history of the printed book has progressed from outlines of dissemination and influence to a more subtle investigation of politics, religion and economics, all of which played their part in the publishing of books. Maclean (Renaissance studies, All Souls College, Oxford) here gives a number of essays on various aspects of book making and selling in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe. Several of these are revisions of conference papers. Maclean looks at the trade from many points of view. He begins with the consumer, that is, the reader. Articles cover the idea of genre literature, textbooks, "philosophical fictions" and medicine. He also gives a sadly unchanged picture of the author, first in search of a printer and then in search of payment. Rivalry among printers is another topic, which may have led to murder in one case. Several chapters have appendices listing books printed by a specific publisher, editions of an author and other forms of bibliography. His review of recent trends in historical and literary theory in the introduction is clear and succinct, making his take on the subject of book publishing all the more relevant to scholarship today. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)