Description

Book Synopsis
A rich exploration of the importance of books and libraries in the ancient world that highlights how humanity’s obsession with the printed word has echoed throughout the ages • “Accessible and entertaining.” —The Wall Street Journal

Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of earth to bring them back. When Mark Antony wanted to impress Cleopatra, he knew that gold and priceless jewels would mean nothing to her. So, what did her give her? Books for her library—two hundred thousand, in fact. The long and eventful history of the written word shows that books have always been and will always be a precious—and precarious—vehicle for civilization.  

Papyrus is the story of the book’s journ

Papyrus

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    £31.50

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    RRP £35.00 – you save £3.50 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Sat 15 Aug 2026.

    A Hardback by Irene Vallejo, Charlotte Whittle

    3 in stock

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      Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 10/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9780593318898, 978-0593318898
      ISBN10: 0593318897
      Also in:
      Ancient history Middle Eastern history

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A rich exploration of the importance of books and libraries in the ancient world that highlights how humanity’s obsession with the printed word has echoed throughout the ages • “Accessible and entertaining.” —The Wall Street Journal

      Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of earth to bring them back. When Mark Antony wanted to impress Cleopatra, he knew that gold and priceless jewels would mean nothing to her. So, what did her give her? Books for her library—two hundred thousand, in fact. The long and eventful history of the written word shows that books have always been and will always be a precious—and precarious—vehicle for civilization.  

      Papyrus is the story of the book’s journ

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