A History of Booksellers and the Bookshop

A History of Booksellers and the Bookshop traces the global story of bookselling from antiquity to the present day. Historian Jean-Yves Mollier explores how booksellers have connected writers with readers while operating at the crossroads of culture, ideas, commerce, education, freedom, censorship, and political change. The book follows the evolving trade across markets, forums, reading rooms, street stalls, independent shops, and major chains, showing how booksellers have continuously adapted to changing societies and technologies. Originally published in French as Histoire des libraires et de la librairie, this English edition is translated by George Miller. It is both a history of a vital cultural profession and a tribute to the people who bring books into readers’ hands.