A review by cats_and_bookdragons
The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen

informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

I don't give 5 stars easily, but this book absolutely deserves each and every one. It's a really well-written history of the library, and Pettegree and Der Weduwen even make numbers interesting. Generally, I wouldn't like being given figures of the number of books libraries have, but in this book it's necessary, noteworthy and easily digestible. I did find that they spent a little too much time on the 16th century. I would have liked a more comprehensive view of libraries and their problems/merits in the 21st century. It's also quite a Euro-centric read, but I think that's to be expected. 

Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, far from your usual dry non-fiction fare. I found myself wanting to dive back in whenever I put it down. The writing is lively and neatly packed into short sections so it's easy to break off at a convenient place and then pick up again where you left off. I just wish I could remember in detail everything in the book because it's packed with interesting facts.