As well as holding some of the world's most prized cultural treasures, the British Library is the repository of the nation's collective memory. Owing its origin to the generosity and far-sightedness of a handful of eighteenth-century scholars and booklovers, and built up over 250 years, the Library's very extensive collections - of books, manuscripts, maps, music, newspapers, photographs, sound recordings, stamps, and digital media - offer keys to the understanding of human achievement in literature, art, music, politics, journalism, exploration and much else, from ancient times to the present day. In this highly illustrated book Michael Leapman tells the Library's story, highlighting the most significant and beautiful items in its care, as well as exploring some of the lesser known, more surprising artifacts housed in its iconic building in the heart of London.

About the Author
Michael Leapman has written or edited 18 books on an eclectic range of subjects, including The World for a Shilling: How the Great Exhibition of 1851 Shaped a Nation (2001), Inigo: The Troubled Life of Inigo Jones, Architect of the English Renaissance (2004), and DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Great Britain (2011).


Book Information
ISBN 9780712358378
Author Michael Leapman
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint The British Library Publishing Division
Publisher British Library Publishing