Title: The Enlightenment & the book : Scottish authors & their publishers in eighteenth-century Britain, Ireland, & America /
Authors: Sher, Richard B., 1948-
Publisher: University of Chicago Press,
Year: 2006
Subjects: English literature Publishing.; English literature Scottish authors Publishing.; Publishers and publishing Great Britain History; Publishers and publishing Ireland History; Publishers and publishing United States History; Authors and publishers Scotland History; English literature Appreciation.; English literature Scottish authors Appreciation.; Authors, Scottish Intellectual life; Enlightenment Scotland; Scottish literature Publishing.; Scottish literature Appreciation.; Literature, Modern history Scotland.; Authorship Scotland.; Publishing history Great Britain.; Publishing history Ireland.; Publishing history United States.; History, 18th Century; Scotland; United Kingdom; Ireland; United States
Abstract: "In this history, Richard B. Sher breaks new ground for our understanding of the Enlightenment and the forgotten role of publishing during that period. The Enlightenment and the Hook seeks to remedy the common misperception that such classics as The Health of Nations and The Life of Samuel Johnson were made by their authors alone. To the contrary, Slier shows how the process of bookmaking during the late eighteenth century invoked complex partnerships between authors and their publishers, in which writers saw the hook industry not only as pivotal in the dissemination of their ideas but also as crucial to their dreams of fame and monetary gain. Similarly, Slier demonstrates that publishers were involved in the project of bookmaking for a variety of reasons, ranging from accumulating profits to advancing human knowledge." "The Enlightenment and the Book explores this tension between creativity and commerce, which still exists in scholarly publishing today. Illustrated and elegantly conceived, it will he must reading for anyone interested in the history of the book or the production and diffusion of Enlightenment thought."--Jacket.
Contents: Composing the Scottish Enlightenment -- Identity and diversity among Scottish authors -- The rewards of authorship -- Forging the London-Edinburgh publishing axis -- The heyday of Scottish Enlightenment publishing -- The achievement of William Creech -- The rise and fall of Irish reprinting -- Making Scottish books in America, 1770-1784 -- A more extensive diffusion of useful knowledge : Philadelphia, 1784-1800.