I’ve been studying an online course for the last 4 weeks on the history of the book in the early modern period 1450 to 1800. It has turned out to be really interesting, looking at different texts, illustrations and events that have influenced the growth of books and printing.
Click on the following link if you’re interested!
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/history-of-the-book
The topics are divided over 4 weeks of study:
- Week 1 – How book were made in Western Europe 1450-1800 (designing types, illustrating, sewing, binding and finishing books)
- Week 2 – How books were sold in Western Europe 1450-1800 (bestsellers, collectors, advertising and book auctions)
- Week 3 – How books were read in Western Europe 1450-1800 (books and readers, family libraries and annotating books)
- Week 4 – How books changed the world 1450-1800 (reforming religion, transforming medicine and science and remaking the state)
I learnt some really interesting things that I didn’t know before, and I would be interested in looking in more detail at some of the texts and processes explained over the progress of the course.
I knew that making books would be a time-consuming business, but I don’t think I fully realised that there were so many steps, or about the different types and how the type used influenced the style of book.
Because of my curiosity about the Reformation and religion in the 16th century I think I found the analysis of the Gutenberg Bible and the early modern protestant Bible particularly interesting. However, I also found the discussion about the revolutionary literature of the French Revolution very intriguing.
There are several other courses that I am also interested in that you might be interested in as well, listed below. They also offer a course on the Tudors (top of the list):
The Tudors – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-tudors
A History of Royal Fashion – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/royal-fashion
Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy
Learning from the Past: A Guide for the Curious Researcher – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/learning-from-the-past
England in the Time of King Richard III – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/england-of-richard-third
World War 1: Trauma, Memory, Controversy – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ww1-trauma
Tudor Blogger 