Perfect for book lovers, this is a fascinating exploration of the history of libraries and the people who built them, from the ancient world to the digital age.

Famed across the known world,jealouslyguarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes,or filled with beanbags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full ofincident.InTheLibrary, historians AndrewPettegreeand Arthur derWeduwenintroduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections, trace theriseand fall ofliterarytastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts.In doing so, they reveal that whilecollections themselves are fragile, often falling into ruinwithin a few decades, the idea of the library has been remarkably resilientas each generation makes—and remakes—theinstitution anew.

Beautifully written and deeply researched,The Libraryis essential reading forbooklovers, collectors, andanyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks.