This study of some of the central questions in literary publishing in mid-nineteenth-century North America and Britain is addressed through examination of the unusually rich archives of one of the preeminent literary publishers of the time. Michael Winship analyzes the records and publications of Boston-based Ticknor and Fields, revealing how its books were produced, marketed and distributed, and the extent of its expenses and profits. He goes on to show how an investigation of Ticknor and Fields enriches our understanding of the literary and cultural history of North America and Britain.

This study of some of the central questions in literary publishing in mid-nineteenth-century North America and Britain is addressed through examination of the unusually rich archives of one of the preeminent literary publishers of the time. Michael Winship analyzes the records and publications of Boston-based Ticknor and Fields, revealing how its books were produced, marketed and distributed, and the extent of its expenses and profits. He goes on to show how an investigation of Ticknor and Fields enriches our understanding of the literary and cultural history of North America and Britain.

In 1787, the American union was in disarray. The incompatible demands of the separate states threatened its existence; some states were even in danger of turning into the kind of tyranny they had so recently deposed. A truly national government was needed, one that could raise money, regulate commerce, and defend the states against foreign threats without becoming as overbearing as England. So thirty-six-year-old James Madison believed. That summer, the Virginian was instrumental in organizing the Constitutional Convention, in which one of the world s greatest documents would be debated,...

A succinct distillation of the work and thought of William Charvat, a pioneer in the study of the history of the American book. A valuable piece for any scholar working on the history of writers and writing in the nineteenth century.