{"product_id":"the-library-a-fragile-history","title":"The Library: A Fragile History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA history of libraries and the people who built them, from the ancient world to the digital age \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Engaging [and] ambitious\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e)  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident. In \u003ci\u003eThe Library\u003c\/i\u003e, historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of literary tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts. In doing so, they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile, often falling into ruin within a few decades, the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes--and remakes--the institution anew.  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eThe Library\u003c\/i\u003e proves that truth is more intriguing than fiction...Full of charismatic individuals and astonishing facts.\"―\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London) ","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51984270262503,"sku":"9781541603721","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0449\/4075\/5096\/files\/imageloader_ed41cd5e-5acf-4c6e-b68d-a138444aaf0a.jpg?v=1776315423","url":"https:\/\/arvidabookco.com\/products\/the-library-a-fragile-history","provider":"Arvida Book Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}