The Book at War

Libraries and Readers in an Age of Conflict

Andrew Pettegree

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English

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01 December 2023

Literature, Poetry & Criticism; Literary studies: general; Library, archive & information management; Antiques & collectables: books, manuscripts, ephemera & printed matter

'Rich, authoritative and highly readable, Andrew Pettegree's tour de force will appeal to anyone for whom, whatever the circumstances, books are an abiding, indispensable part of life.' David Kynaston

Chairman Mao was a librarian. Stalin was a published poet. Evelyn Waugh served as a commando - before leaving to write Brideshead Revisited. Since the advent of modern warfare, books have all too often found themselves on the frontline.

In The Book at War, acclaimed historian Andrew Pettegree traces the surprising ways in which written culture - from travel guides and scientific papers to Biggles and Anne Frank - has shaped, and been shaped, by the conflicts of the modern age.

From the American Civil War to the invasion of Ukraine, books, authors and readers have gone to war - and in the process become both deadly weapons and our most persuasive arguments for peace.

By: Andrew Pettegree
Imprint: Profile
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: Main
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 164mm, Spine: 46mm
Weight: 780g
ISBN: 9781800814936
ISBN 10: 1800814933
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 01 December 2023
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Andrew Pettegree, FBA, is Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews. He is the co-author of The Library: A Fragile History, and the prize-winning The Book in the Renaissance and The Invention of News. He is a former Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society and founding director of the Universal Short Title Catalogue.

Reviews for The Book at War: Libraries and Readers in an Age of Conflict

Praise for The Library: A Fragile History * : * Outstanding ... a history of libraries from the ancient world to yesterday, it is fetchingly produced and scrupulously researched - a perfect gift for bibliophiles everywhere -- Professor John Carey * The Sunday Times * This sweeping bookish history has something for everyone ... it is a glorious reminder that books are borderless and boundless and libraries priceless, in all senses -- The Times * Lucy Atkins * Excellent ... rigorous but riveting history -- Dennis Duncan * Spectator *