The Resource Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham
Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham
Resource Information
The item Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute.This item is available to borrow from 1 library branch.
Resource Information
The item Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute.
This item is available to borrow from 1 library branch.
- Summary
- A historical survey of the destruction of knowledge from ancient Babylon and China to modern times Includes the three separate destructions of the Library of Alexandria as well as many equally significant collections around the world Examines the causes of violence directed at repositories of knowledge Looks at the dangers posed by digitalization of books to the free availability of knowledge in the future Hebrew, Hindu, Nordic, and Islamic traditions share the belief of a vast library existing before the creation of the world. The Vedas say that this library predated the creator's creation of himself. Yet, almost as old as the idea of the library is the urge to destroy it. The reasons cited for this are many: educated people are much harder to govern, and some proclaim that only the illiterate can save the world. There are also great destructions brought about by weather, worms, and even the paranoia of the library's owner. Noah is believed to have consigned to oblivion the library of Adam and his descendents because its weight added to that of the animals aboard would have sunk the ark. Books on Fire traces the history of this perpetual destruction from the burning of the great library of Alexandria (on three separate occasions) and the libraries of the Chinese Qing Dynasty to more modern catastrophic losses such as those witnessed in Nazi-occupied Europe and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The author examines the causes for these disasters, the treasures that have been lost, and where the surviving books, if any, have ended up. His investigation also reveals a new danger facing libraries today with the digitalization of books threatening both the existence of the physical paper book and the very idea of reading for free. The promise of an absolute library offered by the computer may well turn out to equal the worst nightmares of Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell. Books on Fire received the 2004 Societe; des Gens de Lettres Prize for Nonfiction/History in Paris.--Provided by publisher
- Language
-
- eng
- fre
- eng
- Edition
- First U.S. edition.
- Extent
- xii, 371 pages
- Contents
-
- In the cradle of the libraries -- The
- papyrus region -- Islam of the first days -- People of the book -- Asia before the twentieth century -- The
- Christian West -- The
- new biblioclasts -- Peace damages -- An embarrassment of modernity -- Flameproof knowledge -- Epilogue: return to Alexandria
- Isbn
- 9781594771675
- Label
- Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history
- Title
- Books on fire
- Title remainder
- the destruction of libraries throughout history
- Statement of responsibility
- Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham
- Language
-
- eng
- fre
- eng
- Summary
- A historical survey of the destruction of knowledge from ancient Babylon and China to modern times Includes the three separate destructions of the Library of Alexandria as well as many equally significant collections around the world Examines the causes of violence directed at repositories of knowledge Looks at the dangers posed by digitalization of books to the free availability of knowledge in the future Hebrew, Hindu, Nordic, and Islamic traditions share the belief of a vast library existing before the creation of the world. The Vedas say that this library predated the creator's creation of himself. Yet, almost as old as the idea of the library is the urge to destroy it. The reasons cited for this are many: educated people are much harder to govern, and some proclaim that only the illiterate can save the world. There are also great destructions brought about by weather, worms, and even the paranoia of the library's owner. Noah is believed to have consigned to oblivion the library of Adam and his descendents because its weight added to that of the animals aboard would have sunk the ark. Books on Fire traces the history of this perpetual destruction from the burning of the great library of Alexandria (on three separate occasions) and the libraries of the Chinese Qing Dynasty to more modern catastrophic losses such as those witnessed in Nazi-occupied Europe and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The author examines the causes for these disasters, the treasures that have been lost, and where the surviving books, if any, have ended up. His investigation also reveals a new danger facing libraries today with the digitalization of books threatening both the existence of the physical paper book and the very idea of reading for free. The promise of an absolute library offered by the computer may well turn out to equal the worst nightmares of Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell. Books on Fire received the 2004 Societe; des Gens de Lettres Prize for Nonfiction/History in Paris.--Provided by publisher
- Cataloging source
- IT-FiEUI
- http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
- Polastron, Lucien X
- Index
- index present
- Literary form
- non fiction
- Nature of contents
- bibliography
- http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
- Graham, Jon E
- http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
-
- Libraries
- Libraries
- Censorship
- Label
- Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham
- Bibliography note
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [343]-362) and index
- Carrier category
- volume
- Carrier category code
- nc
- Carrier MARC source
- rdacarrier.
- Content category
- text
- Content type code
- txt
- Content type MARC source
- rdacontent.
- Contents
-
- In the cradle of the libraries -- The
- papyrus region -- Islam of the first days -- People of the book -- Asia before the twentieth century -- The
- Christian West -- The
- new biblioclasts -- Peace damages -- An embarrassment of modernity -- Flameproof knowledge -- Epilogue: return to Alexandria
- Control code
- FIEb13599707
- Dimensions
- 24 cm.
- Edition
- First U.S. edition.
- Extent
- xii, 371 pages
- Isbn
- 9781594771675
- Media category
- unmediated
- Media MARC source
- rdamedia.
- Media type code
- n
- System control number
- (OCoLC)123539298
- Label
- Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham
- Bibliography note
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [343]-362) and index
- Carrier category
- volume
- Carrier category code
- nc
- Carrier MARC source
- rdacarrier.
- Content category
- text
- Content type code
- txt
- Content type MARC source
- rdacontent.
- Contents
-
- In the cradle of the libraries -- The
- papyrus region -- Islam of the first days -- People of the book -- Asia before the twentieth century -- The
- Christian West -- The
- new biblioclasts -- Peace damages -- An embarrassment of modernity -- Flameproof knowledge -- Epilogue: return to Alexandria
- Control code
- FIEb13599707
- Dimensions
- 24 cm.
- Edition
- First U.S. edition.
- Extent
- xii, 371 pages
- Isbn
- 9781594771675
- Media category
- unmediated
- Media MARC source
- rdamedia.
- Media type code
- n
- System control number
- (OCoLC)123539298
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<div class="citation" vocab="http://schema.org/"><i class="fa fa-external-link-square fa-fw"></i> Data from <span resource="http://link.library.eui.eu/portal/Books-on-fire--the-destruction-of-libraries/EPXpjX8thpM/" typeof="Book http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/Item"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a href="http://link.library.eui.eu/portal/Books-on-fire--the-destruction-of-libraries/EPXpjX8thpM/">Books on fire : the destruction of libraries throughout history, Lucien X. Polastron ; translated by Jon E. Graham</a></span> - <span property="potentialAction" typeOf="OrganizeAction"><span property="agent" typeof="LibrarySystem http://library.link/vocab/LibrarySystem" resource="http://link.library.eui.eu/"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a property="url" href="http://link.library.eui.eu/">European University Institute</a></span></span></span></span></div>
