Bringing together research from avariety ofcountries and periods, this volume introduces readers to the diverse approaches used to recover the evidence of reading through history in different societies, and asks whether reading practices are always conditioned by specific local circumstances or whether broader patterns might emerge."

This book explores the publishing and reading practices formed and changed by the First World War. From an exploration of British and Australian trench journals to the impact of war on the literary figures of the home front, the essays provide new information about the production, circulation and reception of reading matter during this time.

We inhabit a textually super-saturated and increasingly literate world. This volume encourages readers to consider the diverse methodologies used by historians of reading globally, and indicates how future research might take up the challenge of recording and interpreting the practices of readers in an increasingly digitized society.