Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This visual history brings together an extraordinary collection of books to illustrate a canon of more than five hundred years of Western book design. Beginning in 1471 with an edition printed by the influential Nicolas Jenson in Venice and ending in 2010 with a stylish design by Irma Boom, these exceptional and sometimes iconic work cover a broad range of genres: reference works and works of art, 'machines for reading' and picture books, prestigious collector's items and affordable paperbacks.

The story moves from the era when books were accessible only to a wealthy elite, through to the introduction of the first inexpensive editions of popular works, then on to the age of mechanization, when high-quality books could at last be mass-produced for a growing reading public, and beyond to the postmodern era, when restricted print runs and luxury presentation once again became marks of desirability. As well as changing tastes and evolving technology, the contributions made by printers, illustrators, typographers and graphic designers are highlighted throughout, showcasing the evolution of methods to guide readers through the text, the emergence of standard elements such as title pages and tables of contents, and the shifting interaction between typography, colour and images.

Here is the work of the greatest printers of the hand-press period - Aldus Manutius, Christoffel Plantin, the Elzeviers, John Baskerville, Giambattista Bodoni - alongside books by trendsetting designers of the modern era - William Morris, El Lissitzky, Jan Tschichold, Paul Rand, Massin, Bruce Mau. Also featured are remarkable illustrated works by architects and artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Maria Sibylla Merian. Special attention is also given to printers' manuals and type specimens, placing letterforms and printing techniques in a broader context, and charting the changing relationship between form and function, between legible clarity and decorative profusion.

Even in today's digital age, many designers and readers still feel strongly attracted to the printed book as an object of beauty and fascination. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is an unmissable journey through time for everyone who loves books.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

What bibliophile could resist a book about books? This wonderful volume, edited by Lommen (graphic design history, Univ. of Amsterdam Lib.), presents 125 choice examples of the art of book design and typography, all found in the special collection of the University of Amsterdam's library. Over the course of five centuries, the book has evolved from a rare object available only to the rich, to a commonplace and everyday item. Tracing that development, this volume begins with the iconic works of printers and type designers Aldo Manuzio and Nicolas Jenson and follows through into the contemporary world of architect Rem Koolhaas, a founder of Volume magazine, and designer Derek Birdsall. Concise, well written, and remarkably consistent, the entries each include a few paragraphs on the history and description of the featured work, a section discussing the typeface used and its history, and a number of elegantly produced photographs. -VERDICT A tribute to the editorship of Lommen and to the scholarship of the staff involved, this book is a delight to the eye and mind of anyone with a passion for books. It should have a place on the shelves of book lovers the world over.-Paula Frosch. Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Described in the introduction as a "visual history" of "Western book design," this volume, edited by Lommen, a curator at the Special Collections department of the Amsterdam University Library, is actually a chronological exhibition of beautiful and innovative editions published between 1471 and 2010. Brief text accompanies each example, but neither the introduction nor the postscript provides an overview of printing, book design, or book production history. Also missing is a glossary. Even bibliophiles would appreciate definitions for punchcutter, roman, die, copperplate, or offset technique. But the book's raison d'etre is its glorious reproductions, like a 1729 natural history book in which Mark Catesby created astonishing etchings of a blue bird, a crab, and a magnolia, among other species. By occasionally matching its illustrated works' gutters with the gutter of this book, the publisher reproduces the effect of turning the pages of the original. It is a fun effect, and one suited to a book honoring book design. The specter of the e-book haunts any project related to print books, and this is no exception. However, the print book takes the day here. Illus. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

CHOICE Review

Drawing on the collections of the University of Amsterdam and the talents of nine contributors associated with the university, this work is slightly Eurocentric but nevertheless presents an excellent introduction to the history of Western book design. The books, 128 of them, are presented chronologically, from Nicolas Jenson's 1471 book, published in Latin, to one published in 2010 by Irma Boom (James Jennifer Georgina). Each book is illustrated by three to seven color photographs and has a short, informative text about the printer or artist and a separate text block about that book's typeface or graphic features. Some 360 double-page spreads, 185 illustrations of single pages or covers, and 120 illustrations of details or typefaces from the books are included. A short essay introduces each era or movement in book printing, e.g., "The Invention and Spread of Printing," "The Sixteenth Century," "The Dutch Golden Age," and "Modernism and Swiss Typography." With its beautiful presentation of so many fine illustrations from the pages of so many key books in the Western canon, this large, elegant, well-designed publication is a must for libraries supporting collections in the history of bookmaking, the graphic arts, or even Western culture. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. W. S. Johnson George Fox University