A History of the Book in America

“With thirty-two contributors, this volume is a feat of compilation and editing.” — Times Literary Supplement

“These superb essays convey the extraordinary range of possibilities in Americans’ interactions with print between 1790 and 1840.” — Journal of American History

“The scholarship is up-to-date in every way, as the contributors (many leading scholars on their subject) look at every facet — human and machine — of producing the written word. . . . Gross and Kelley provide lucid, helpful overviews in their introductions to the book as a whole and to its six sections. No other single book offers such a rich and comprehensive analysis of how the written word helped shape antebellum America, and the series as a whole is magnificent. . . . Essential.” — CHOICE

“Has a remarkable unity of voice, its sections elegantly knitted together by thoughtful introductions. . . . Both lay and academic readers . . . [will] be rewarded with the feeling of truly understanding the era, benefiting from both broad strokes and fine details.” — Library Journal

“A model of scholarly publication and institutional cooperation. . . . A timely achievement and a great one. . . . Without university presses, we would still be waiting for HBA.” — Journal of Scholarly Publishing

“The decision to plumb as many themes of print culture as possible, coupled with the skillful use of various rhetorical devices . . . has produced a volume that meets the challenge of coming to grips with a history of American printing that is more variegated than in any other society or culture of the period. . . . Eminently successful, and as in all good history it flings open doors for new avenues of research and understanding.” — Printing History

“What the History of the Book series shows so clearly is that the world we know, the communities to which we already belong, are reified and reinforced by books. Such is the incredible and incredibly flexible power of this primitive technology. Behold the book: It is limited but perfect.” — Humanities magazine

“Beautifully-designed with frequent illustrations, a very well-chosen font, and rich source notes. . . . All involved should be justly proud of their creation. . . . This and its companion volumes are an indispensable resource.” — PhiloBiblos Blog

“A remarkable work . . . . For scholars interested in this important period of transition, An Extensive Republic is required reading.” — Sharp News

“A standard reference work that every university library will want to acquire.” — Journal of Southern History