Remarkable Books

November 1, 2017

Collins (Pope Francis: A Photographic Story of the People's Pope) and contributors Alexandra Black (How Business Works), Thomas Cussans (contributor, History: The Definitive Visual Guide), John Fardon (Royal Literary fellow, Cambridge Univ.; Do Not Open), and Philip Parker (The Northmen's Fury: A History of the Viking World) highlight individual titles, organized by time period, that are remarkable for their place in history, their writing, and their physical presentation. A preface extols books and examines the history of the medium, from scroll to the present day. Articles cover the dimensions of the featured edition and when, where, and how it was produced. Entries on bound volumes (as opposed to scrolls) include a graphic of the selection compared with an "average" physical hand. (There are variations: John James Audubon's mammoth Birds of America is shown beside an entire person, while Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is compared to a child's hand.) Each section ends with a directory that showcases other notable works from the period. It isn't always clear why some books receive more attention than others, which may frustrate the most orderly, but overall, this work deftly examines literature in world history and vice versa. VERDICT With the breadth of subjects covered, this is a coffee-table book for the curious adult mind but accessible enough for younger readers, too.--Robert Mixner, Bartholomew Cty. P.L., Columbus, IN

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