Product Description: Since the development of the codex book form in the first century AD, bookbindings have played a crucial role not only in protecting and preserving the texts which they contain, but also in the history of the book as an artefact. The artistic style, materials and techniques used in creating a bookbinding can offer fascinating insights into a whole range of historical and cultural issues, from the dating and placing of the material it contains, to the social standing of the book's owner...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

This work is published to coincide with the opening of the exhibition gallery at the new British Library Building. This book provides an introduction to bookbinding and offers an historical overview of techniques, illustrated with examples from the Library's own collections.