SKU: 72528361595

The Library: A Fragile History

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The Library: A Fragile HistoryThe Library: A Fragile History Princes, collectors, bookworms and thieves: the extraordinary story of the library, from Alexandria to the age of Google LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION NON FICTION CROWNA SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR'Timely a long and engrossing survey of the library' FT'A sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched' Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the BooksFamed across the known world, jealously

The Library: A Fragile History

Princes, collectors, bookworms and thieves: the extraordinary story of the library, from Alexandria to the age of Google

LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWNA SUNDAY TIMES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR'Timely ... a long and engrossing survey of the library' FT'A sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched' Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the BooksFamed 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 children's drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied and stuffed full of incident.In this, the first major history of its kind, Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen explore the contested and dramatic history of the library, from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today. Along the way, they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanours committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts.

'[In] this superb history, filled with fascinating details that will delight every bibliophile, the authors tell the rich and varied history of libraries, from those that aspire to collect the sum of human knowledge to modest but valued personal collections' - Guardian

'Outstanding ... a history of libraries from the ancient world to yesterday, it is fetchingly produced and scrupulously researched - a perfect gift for bibliophiles everywhere' - The Sunday Times

'This history of the library, from the Assyrians to the digital age, is itself a wonderful collection of knowledge ... a book full of fascination and ultimately one of optimism, too' - New Statesman

'This sweeping bookish history has something for everyone ... it is a glorious reminder that books are borderless and boundless and libraries priceless, in all senses' - The Times

'Excellent ... rigorous but riveting history' - Spectator

'Timely ... a long and engrossing survey of the library that shows how adaptable and creative libraries have been over time' - FT

'Despite [a] staggering range, the authors manage never to seem in a rush, or to skimp on incidental detail ... holding it all together is a keen eye for stories of individual lives that are representative of something larger ... [a] sweeping history' - Times Literary Supplement

'A sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched, of that extraordinary and enduring phenomenon: the library' - Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack

'What is a 'library'? Is it a mute display of personal wealth and power, or of a humble devotion to God? A routine community resource, or a waste of taxpayers' money? In The Library, we are led nimbly through the centuries, seeing how it has been all of these things and more, as the authors place on the shelf a cornucopia of bookish history.' - A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order

'Comprehensive without being miscellaneous, lively without being anecdotal, this sweeping history of libraries shows how central this institution has been to every aspect of human culture. At a time when libraries and librarians are proving themselves to be more important and more resilient than ever before, this whirlwind tour of the different forms that libraries have taken at different times and places will educate and inspire in equal measure.' - What We Talk About When We Talk About Books

'Magnificently researched and compendious' - Tablet

'Enthralling ... fittingly, The Library is a handsomely presented and reasonably priced book, with plenty of informative colour plates. The authors' erudition, reflected in a huge bibliography, is carried lightly, and their story is told with wit and wisdom ... A hair-raising journey through the long history of libraries' - Church Times

'Libraries have had a long and varied history ... This globetrotting book charts their stories' - BBC History Revealed

SPECIFICATIONS:

Author:Andrew Pettegri, Arthur Der Vedinveven - Эндрю Петтегри, Артур дер Ведувен

Publisher:Profile Books

Language:English

Publication Date:2022

Number of pages:528 pst

Format:Paperback

Width:126 mm / 5'

Height:198 mm / 7,8'

Weight:440 g

ISBN:9781788163439

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SKU: 72528361595

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4.0 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
J
Jimmy R. Reagan
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Great, New Commentary!
Format: Hardcover
This commentary by Robert Yarbrough will become, I predict, a top-rated volume on the Pastoral Epistles. These epistles are ideal for the style of commentary we find in the Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC) series. As respected and valuable as the NICNT volumes by the same publisher are, these Pillar volumes are simply more valuable. They have a better center of focus, are more consistently conservative, and have more value for pastors without sacrificing scholarship. This volume succeeds in reaching that standard too. As you might have guessed, the editorship of D. A. Carson likely keeps this series moored to that lofty perch. BTW, don’t miss the editor’s preface where Carson fawns over Yarbrough’s work here. I was in love with this commentary within a few pages of its fine Introduction. So many commentators lose their way in the Pastoral Epistles. I have long suspected that it has far more to do with the authors dislike of what these epistles say rather than any actual problem found within them. Yarbrough is not sucked into the irrational fear of using the term “pastoral epistles” as so many are today either. It’s a breath of fresh air. He opens the Introduction with eight theses on pastoral heritage in these epistles. To my mind, that was a great way to present introductory issues. Next, he does a section each on Father, Son, and Spirit respectively in the Pastoral Epistles (PE). He was particularly perceptive in discussing Paul as a working pastor, even dispensing some silly critical theories along the way. He then tackles in turn geography, people, and key terms. He ends with a section on authorship and other usual introductory matters and masterfully reaches conservative conclusions. The commentary itself was even better! The phrase “real help” comes to mind. He showed off his skill, for example, in the perpetual battlefield of Titus 2. He gently yet surefootedly takes us where that disliked passage goes. He’s kind to dissenters, careful in scholarship, but not afraid to reach a conclusion. I don’t know about you, but that’s how I like my commentaries. 5 stars all the way!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018
K
Verified Purchase
Kathya1010
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 4
A Thorough Commentary that Needs Less Neutrality
Format: Kindle
Dr. Yarbrough has addressed the meaning of the Pastoral Epistles with the excellence we have have come to expect from him. However, sometimes he seems reluctant to take a stand on some controversial issues (other than on Pauline authorship and matters of basic Christian orthodoxy, to both of which he is correctly firmly committed). When several possibilities of meaning are possible, for example, it would be helpful to know which hypothesis he favors, and why. While occasionally he does state a definitive opinion, more often he does not, perhaps in a laudable but somewhat overdone effort to avoid controversy with fellow theologians. However, when one reads a 1000+ page commentary written at a scholarly level, one expects the author to give his or her expert opinion on such matters—indeed, it is a major reason that one purchases and studies a commentary. To conclude on a more positive note, Dr. Yarbrough’s observations on Greek word usage, including numerous Old Testament passages from the Septuagint, the Apostolic Fathers and apocryphal works, were very helpful in aiding the reader in understanding fine shades of meaning. His pastoral observations and deductions based on the text are simply excellent. His discussions of the strengths and weaknesses commonly encountered in Christian leaders in Western countries versus those observed in leaders from other nations were fascinating and edifying, not to mention occasionally convicting (in a good way)—even for readers who aren’t pastors, like me.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2025
N
Verified Purchase
Nicholas Quient
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 1
Unimpressive
Format: Hardcover
Concerning various controversial questions of like Pauline authorship and women in ministry, Yarbrough's commentary is lackluster, polemical, and altogether dismissive of large swaths of evangelical scholarship that run counter to his claims. There are better commentaries from an evangelical perspective (I. Howard Marshall, Philip Towner) that seriously address such questions without resorting to hand-waving. Overall, an unimpressive and polemical work that is superseded by better words.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2019
K
Verified Purchase
Kailey Goodman
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for NP school
Format: Paperback
This is very informative and easy to read! No fluff but just the nitty gritty of what you need to know
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2025
R
Verified Purchase
Ryan Michael Skinner
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Good
Format: Paperback
Good
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2025

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