An American Bible : a History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880 / Paul C. Gutjahr

Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 1999. First Edition. Hardcover. During the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century, American publishing experienced unprecedented growth. An emerging market economy, widespread religious revival, educational reforms, and innovations in print technology created a culture increasingly dominated by the power of print. At its center was the Bible, the book that has been called 'the best seller' in American publishing history. First printed in the United States during the Revolutionary War, it underwent many revisions, translations, and changes in format as different editors and publishers appropriated it to meet a wide range of changing ideological and economic demands. This book examines how heated battles among the different constituencies fighting to maintain the pre-eminence of the Bible had profound consequences for many American cultural practices and forms of printed material. The author explores how publishers, clergymen, politicians, educators, and lay persons met the threat that new printed material posed to the dominance of the Bible. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dw. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered. Literally as new.; 8vo 8"" - 9"" tall; 256 pages; Description: xv, 256 p. : ill. , maps ; 26 cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. [229]-252) and index. Subjects: Bible --History --18th century. Bible --Publication and distribution --United States --History --18th century. Bible --History --19th century. Bible --Publication and distribution --United States --History --19th century.