May 1, 2015, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Research + TeachingMuddy bootprints on Himmler’s copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf This week marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. I grew up in Holland where the fifth of May is celebrated as “Bevrijdingsdag,” named for the liberation from German occupation that my father, who was 14 years old in 1945 when he stood by the side… read more
February 3, 2015, Filed Under: Books + ManuscriptsWorld War II-era Armed Services Editions boosted troop morale and fostered a new generation of readers The book, When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning, celebrates the importance of the Armed Services Editions. Published between 1943 and 1947, these inexpensive paperback editions were given to servicemen on the frontlines. As Manning points out, not only did… read more
August 9, 2012, Filed Under: Books + ManuscriptsPenguin and the Paperback Revolution Click on the four-way arrow in the bottom right-hand corner of the slideshow to convert into full-screen mode. According to popular mythology, the publisher Allen Lane, founder of Penguin Books, formulated his idea for a press dedicated exclusively to paperbacks while visiting a railway station. Having spent the weekend visiting… read more
