Description
Book SynopsisAndrew Millar (1705-68) published some of the most important works of the eighteenth century across many genres. This is the first extended study of his commercial and social role in the commissioning, production, circulation, and consumption of Enlightenment literature in Britain, and it presents hundreds of previously unpublished letters.
Trade ReviewThis is a huge work, with a vast quantity of materials, multiple cross-references, accurate texts and deeply informative annotation, above all a volume that is consistently full of surprises, being educative, often entertaining, and a very significant contribution to the field. * A. Rounce, Review of English Studies. *
...this volume is admirable, and I agree with Barbara Benedict's back-cover blurb that overall Circulating the Enlightenment, with its wealth of analysis and new information, is "a must-read for any scholar of book history, eighteenth-century culture and Scottish studies." * Christine Ferdinand, Eighteenth-Century Scotland *
This expertly annotated edition of the letters of one of the greatest eighteenth-century publishers and booksellers is an invaluable addition to the history of the book trade and authorship in Britain. The introductory life of Millar is a must-have resource, reassessing an ingenious, well-connected and highly influential literary entrepreneur; the notes to the letters are a bibliographical and historicaltour-de-force. * James Raven, FBA, University of Cambridge *
In this monumental and comprehensive edition of the correspondence of Andrew Millar, the important bookseller who stood at the crux of the enlightenment, Adam Budd does more than provide an authoritative biography: he paints a delightful portrait of the complex life of a deeply social, highly committed, intelligent and serious man in mid-eighteenth-century London. The book's extensive Introduction could stand alone as a dazzling monograph on Scottish cultural history, so rich are its details and so deep is its reach. Plentiful and informative paratexts abound, including explanatory sections on diction, technical terms, money, and publishing procedures, a genealogy tree, chronology, bibliography, and lavish illustrations and reproductions of manuscript pages. Circulating Enlightenment is a stunning achievement and a must-read for any scholar of book history, eighteenth-century culture and Scottish studies. * Barbara M. Benedict, Trinity College *
Table of ContentsTable of Letters Chronology The Career The Correspondence Appendix 1: Andrew Millar's Last Will and Testament Appendix 2: A Catalogue of the Copies and Shares of Copies of the Late Andrew Millar Biographical Directory of Correspondents and Associates Bibliography
