A History of the Book in America, Volume One: The Colonial Book in the Atlantic World (review)

Abstract

With the appearance of the first volume of a projected five-volume set, the eagerly awaited history of the book in America makes its impressive debut. While one should not necessarily judge the whole project by its first part, this work may well be a foretaste for waiting readers of what lies ahead. This volume treats the period from the early seventeenth to near the end of the eighteenth century. Succeeding volumes will deal with the periods 1790-1840, 1840-80, 1880-1945, and 1945-95, each with two or more scholar-editors--all of whom serve on the series editorial board, along with others, including Ellen S. Dunlap, John B. Hench, and Marcus A. McCorison, who represent the American Antiquarian Society's Program in the History of the Book in American Culture, the principal sponsor of the series. As this work is completed, it will provide a thorough coverage of its topic and likely stand as the comprehensive treatment for some time, not least because of its scholarly authority. The editors of this first volume, long associated with the early period of books in North America and the resources of Harvard University, set the tone for the volume and the series.