Imprint
- Hodder Paperbacks
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Hodder & Stoughton
Literature: history & criticism, Regional & national history, Ancient history: to c 500 CE, Classical history / classical civilisation, Inventions & inventors
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Imprint
Hodder Paperbacks
- Paperback Aug 29, 2023 | 9781529344004 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Trade Paperback Oct 11, 2022 | 9781529343977 | RRP $34.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Jan 10, 2023 | 9781529343960 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 3, 2022 | 9781529343984 | RRP $12.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Nov 1, 2022 | 9781529343991 | RRP $46.99 Buy Now
-
Imprint
Hodder & Stoughton
- Paperback Aug 29, 2023 | 9781529344004 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Trade Paperback Oct 11, 2022 | 9781529343977 | RRP $34.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Jan 10, 2023 | 9781529343960 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 3, 2022 | 9781529343984 | RRP $12.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Nov 1, 2022 | 9781529343991 | RRP $46.99 Buy Now
-
Imprint
Hodder & Stoughton
- Paperback Aug 29, 2023 | 9781529344004 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Trade Paperback Oct 11, 2022 | 9781529343977 | RRP $34.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Jan 10, 2023 | 9781529343960 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 3, 2022 | 9781529343984 | RRP $12.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Nov 1, 2022 | 9781529343991 | RRP $46.99 Buy Now
-
Imprint
Hodder & Stoughton
- Paperback Aug 29, 2023 | 9781529344004 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Trade Paperback Oct 11, 2022 | 9781529343977 | RRP $34.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Jan 10, 2023 | 9781529343960 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 3, 2022 | 9781529343984 | RRP $12.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Nov 1, 2022 | 9781529343991 | RRP $46.99 Buy Now
-
Imprint
Hodder & Stoughton
- Paperback Aug 29, 2023 | 9781529344004 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Trade Paperback Oct 11, 2022 | 9781529343977 | RRP $34.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Jan 10, 2023 | 9781529343960 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 3, 2022 | 9781529343984 | RRP $12.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Nov 1, 2022 | 9781529343991 | RRP $46.99 Buy Now
An enthralling journey through the history of books and libraries in the ancient world and those who have helped preserve their rich literary traditions
The bestselling phenomenon - a 6,000-year adventure through the history of books and reading
A FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2023
'Outstanding, universal and unique' NEW YORK TIMES
'A literary phenomenon.' TLS
'Masterly.' ECONOMIST
'Mindboggling' TELEGRAPH
Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.
In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.
An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.
Praise for Papyrus: THE MILLION-COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER
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An outstanding, universal and unique book. - The New York Times
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One can be a masterful philologist and at the same time write like the angels... a true literary feast. - ABC
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An incredible, universal, and unique book which will no doubt become a classic. - El Periodico de Aragon
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It's a joy to read Irene Vallejo's prose, she is such a brilliant creator and full of sensitivity.
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'[A] masterpiece . . . I am absolutely sure that it will continue to be read when its readers today are already in the afterlife.'
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A fascinating and profound, yet delightfully personal take on books in the ancient world, with many illuminating insights into more modern literature and life. - Paul Strathern, author of Ten Cities that Led the World
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'In this fabulous, anecdote-filled history, award-winning Spanish writer Vallejo charts the fates and fortunes of books and libraries in the ancient world, from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius to Cleopatra's palaces and the scenes of Hypatia's murder. As well as chronicling the thrills and spills of literary culture, she celebrates those whose heroic efforts ensured the continuity of the written word. A long-time Spanish bestseller, Papyrus has won numerous prizes and is set to be published around the world.' - The Bookseller, November Non-Fiction Editor s Choice
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'A literary phenomenon . . . didactic and daring . . . elegant and richly digressive.' - Times Literary Supplement
Irene Vallejo
Irene Vallejo earned her European Doctorate from the Universities of Zaragoza and Florence. Papyrus was awarded the National Essay Prize, the Critical Eye Prize for Narrative and the Bookstore Recommendation Award, and will be published in thirty countries. She is a regular columnist for El
PaA s and Heraldo de AragA n, and is the author of two children's books, two novels, and three collections of essays, articles, and short fiction.
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