Perfect for book lovers this is a fascinating exploration of the history of libraries and the people who built them from the ancient world to the digital age. 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 childrens drawingsthe history of the library is rich varied and stuffed full of incident. In The Library historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the worlds great collections trace the rise and fall of literary tastes and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts. In doing so they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile often falling into ruin within a few decades the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makesand remakesthe institution anew. Beautifully written and deeply researched The Library is essential reading for booklovers collectors and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks. show more