The emergence of the book was not merely an event of world historical importance, but the dawn of modernity. In this much praised work, Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin mesh together economic and technological history, sociology and anthropology, with the study of consciousness itself to root the development of printing in the changing social relations and ideological struggles of Western Europe. Now that the printed page may become a thing of the past, The Coming of the Book is more pertinent than ever. The Verso World History Series : This series provides attractive new editions of classic works of history, making landmark texts available to a new generation of readers. Covering a time-span stretching from Ancient Greece and Rome to the twentieth century, and with a global geographical range, the series will also include thematic volumes providing insights into such topics as the spread of print cultures and the history of money.

Lucien Febvre (1878-1956) was cofounder of the influential journal Annales, and is widely recognized as one of the foremost historians of the twentieth century. His other books include A Geographical Introduction to History, The Problem of Unbelief in the Sixteenth Century: The Religion of Rabelais and Life in Renaissance France. Henri-Jean Martin (1924-2007) was a distinguished historian of the development of early printing. His other publications include The French Book: Religion, Absolutism and Readership, 1585-1715 and The History and Power of Writing.