Producing the eighteenth-century book

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This volume presents twelve essays examining the history of the book during the long eighteenth century, emphasizing the integration of literary scholarship with book history practices. It addresses key themes such as the need to acknowledge the materiality of books and its implications for literature, the interplay between book forms and literary content, and the impact of commercial pressures on book production. The essays draw parallels between the eighteenth-century expansion of print and the current shift to digital media. Notable figures in authorship and the book trade, including Alexander Pope, Delarivier Manley, Samuel Johnson, and Frances Burney, are explored in detail. The texts analyzed range from encyclopedias and cookbooks to horse-racing studiobooks and domestic commonplace books. The collection identifies new research areas, particularly in reading and writing practices in handwritten books, and suggests utilizing new media to enhance our understanding of print history. Accompanied by thirty-five illustrations, the volume begins with remarks by J. Paul Hunter and features contributions from both established experts and emerging scholars, offering a comprehensive appraisal of print culture evolution in this period.