Description
Book SynopsisThe story of Ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when "books" were clay tablets and writing was a new phenomenon. Lionel Casson explores the royal libraries of the Ancient Near East, the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, and the first Christian monastic libraries.
Trade Review"Which came first, the book or the library? This monograph by the classicist Lionel Casson provides a detailed answer that will appeal not just to bibliophiles but to anyone who enjoys picking up odd bits of intriguing historical information."—Amanda Heller,
Boston Sunday Globe"[I]nformative. . . . [A] succinct account of the development of reading, writing and book collecting in Mesopotamia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. . . . The reader can only wish . . . that he follows this short but engaging book with a sequel."—Michiko Kakutani,
New York Times"[A] charming and brief narrative history of the birth (and deaths) of libraries in the ancient world."—Robert Messenger,
New York Times Book Review"[A] book that many readers will enjoy immensely. Yale has produced a handsome volume, well designed by Mary Valencia (off-white paper stock, inviting layout, abundant illustrations), neither too long nor too short, and written in limpid, understated prose by an expert on ancient civilization. For a quick overview of 3,000 years of book making, selling, care and preservation—from roughly 2,500 B.C. to 600 A.D.—this is the roll, or rather codex, to start with. . . . [D]iverting and instructive."—Michael Dirda,
Washington Post Book World"A wonderful book for those who love libraries and the books within."—
History Magazine"Casson’s book is not limited to where and when important libraries existed, it offers a social history transcending the idea of a library as we know it. . . . As appealing to the archaeologist as the bibliophile."—
Publishers Weekly"A wonderful book on a wonderful subject. Casson knows what is interesting and tells us in spellbinding style."—G.W. Bowersock, Institute for Advanced Study
