History of the Book, 1500-1800 module (HU42001)

Is our digital age comparable to the so-called 'print revolution' of the fifteenth century? Were scurrilous broadsheets printed in the age of Gutenberg the precursors of today's social media? What about the ‘writing revolution’, i.e. the invention and use of script?

The transition from an oral to a largely written culture has happened all around the world, but at different times and speeds. The process is neither complete nor unchallenged. This module analyses the cultural, socioeconomic, and political consequences of media revolutions past and present.

We will analyse books as physical objects and print culture more broadly.

Another theme we will explore is the way scholars shared knowledge through the ‘Republic of Letters’ in pre-modern Europe. In the face of an ongoing digital revolution, 21st-century book historians have put renewed emphasis on books as physical objects. You will examine books in the Brechin Collection at the University Archives as part of this module. 
 

What you will learn

In this module you will:

• examine the nature and scope of 'media revolutions' in a comparative perspective
• analyse a range of primary sources
• engage with exciting new developments in the theory and practice of book history

By the end of this module, you will:

• be confident in using and critically evaluating a variety of primary sources
• have the ability to make comparisons over time between, for example, the ongoing digital/internet revolution and the print revolution in pre-modern Europe

have a good grasp of significant changes in the theory and practice of book history and be able to assess the consequences for our understanding of the study of English and History

Assignments/Assessment:

The assessed components of this module are:

• presentation (15%)
• module portfolio (eight entries of 500 words and a conclusion, reflecting on the entire range of coursework) (35%)
• an extended essay (50%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable:

• weekly student-led seminar of three hours (with breaks)
• the Brechin Collection - an outstanding collection of pre-modern manuscripts and rare books - is used for seminar presentations and discussions
• two-hour training session at the University Archives
• afternoon field trip to Special Collections at the University of St. Andrews