01893cam a2200277 4500 553022854 TxAuBib 20211203120000.0 210312s2021||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2021945164 9781541600775 1541600770 (OCoLC)1241244230 YDX eng YDX BDX LIV rda HBP JAS OI6 COO EAU JQM HSA TxAuBib Pettegree, Andrew. The library : a fragile history / Andrew Pettegree and Arthur Der Weduwen. First US edition. New York, NY : Basic Books, 2021. 518 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm. "Originally published in 2021 in Great Britain by Profile Books Ltd."--Title page verso. Includes bibliographical references (pages 417-502) and index (pages 503-518.) Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes or filled with bean bags and children's drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied and stuffed full of incident. In this, the first major history of its kind, Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen explore the contested and dramatic history of the library, from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today. Along the way, they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanours committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts."--Book jacket flap. 20211203. Libraries History. Weduwen, Arthur der, author.