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Papyrus

The Invention of Books in the Ancient World

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Papyrus

By: Irene Vallejo
Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
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About this listen

THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

A FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR

An enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and reading

Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.

In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.

An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.

©2022 Irene Vallejo (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Ancient History Literary History & Criticism Ancient History Imperialism Ancient Greece War
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Beautifully written

Beautifully written and researched. It is truly inspiring and fascinating and it was also wonderfully narrated.

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Excellent & fascinating

I learnt so much. This was fantastically researched and beautifully performed. Reminds you why books are so important

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Very impressive

A little long in places but an incredibly interesting and well translated book, which was thoroughly enjoyable

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It’s not just about books!

A fascinating narrative that weaves history around so many different areas of human experience. Art, politics, war, society, what it means to be free and how that is expressed. It wasn’t just a collection of anecdotes, but a careful layering of information and perspectives over millennia. A compelling and stimulating story.

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