The secret library : a book-lovers' journey through curiosities of history

A fascinating tour through the curious history of Western civilization told through its most emblematic invention - the book. As well as leafing through the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, Oliver Tearle also dusts off some of the more neglected items to be found hidden among the bookshelves of the past. You'll learn learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, the woman who became the first published poet in America and the eccentric traveller who introduced the table-fork to England. Through exploring a variety of books - novels, plays, travel books, science books, cookbooks, joke books and sports almanacs - The Secret Library highlights some of the most fascinating aspects of our history. It also reveals the surprising connections between various works and historical figures. What links Homer's Iliad to Aesop's Fables? Or Wisden Cricketers' Almanack to the creator of Sherlock Holmes? The Secret Library brings these little-known stories to light, exploring the intersections between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world over 3,000 years. As well as taking in the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, "The Secret Library "brings to light more neglected items among the bookshelves of the world. While discussing Darwin s groundbreaking "On the Origin of Species," we ll learn why that bestseller was outsold in Darwin s own lifetime by his book on earthworms, and how Edgar Allan Poe s biggest-selling title was a book on mollusks. We ll learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, how Sherlock Holmes s famous illustrator got the job because of a clerical error, and how the word 'trilby" taken from a Victorian novel was originally applied to people s feet before it became the name of a hat. "The Secret Library "brings these little-known stories to light, exploring the intersection between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world over 3,000 years." How much do you know about the Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens ? Or the woman who became the first published poet in America ? Do you know what connects Homer's Iliad to Aesop's Fables? The Secret Library explores these intriguing morsels of lesser-known history , along with the familiar literary heavyweights we know and love. Bringing together an eclectic literary mix of novels, plays, travel books, science books and joke books, author Oliver Tearle explores how the history of the Western World has intersected with all kinds of books over the last 3,000 years. Delve into this treasure trove of curious literary examples to learn how our history and books are inextricably linked. An alternative history of Western civilization told through its most emblematic invention, the book. As well as taking in the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, The Secret Library uncovers more neglected works, exploring the intersection between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world.