‘Tis the season for book publishing overload. But we can help. Here are five new titles sure to charm a bibliophile no matter his or her particular specialization.
Yale University Press, $75
The book surveys the art of illumination during a monumental shift in the history of the book: from manuscript to print. With more than 100 color illustrations (and another 150 in black and white), this oversized volume has the appearance of a coffee table tome, and yet author Jonathan J. G. Alexander provides a comprehensive study of illumination during the Italian Renaissance.
Courtesy of Yale University Press.
Artbook/D.A.P., $34.95
A gorgeously illustrated history of the iconic Paris bookshop in honor of its 65th birthday. Opened by George Whitman in 1951—a decade after Sylvia Beach’s original closed—this bohemian paradise continues to captivate writers, readers, and travelers under the direction of George’s daughter, Sylvia Whitman.
Courtesy of Artbook/D.A.P.
Penguin Books, $25
This book shows off the innovative cover design that has been the hallmark of Penguin Classics since its launch in 1946. From Penguin Orange to Black Spines to the Drop Caps series, this extensively illustrated and handsomely designed volume absolutely pops. Bonus: a foreword by Audrey Niffenegger.
Courtesy of Penguin Books.
Thames & Hudson, $39.95
An enchanting showcase of birds, elegantly categorized into eight sections: Songbirds, Birds of Prey, Feathered Travellers, The Love Life of Birds, Avian Cities, Useful to Us, Threatened & Extinct, and Revered & Adored. With 200 ornithological illustrations, prints, and drawings, author Mark Avery gives Audubon aficionados something new to eye.
Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
University of Chicago Press, $22.50
It might be slim, but the book’s easily browsable facts, stats, and lists are utterly delightful. Take a deep dive into the Bodleian’s eccentric history with Claire Cock-Starkey and Violet Moller; you won’t be disappointed.
Courtesy of University of Chicago Press.
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