Book-trade history is one of the most active areas of research centred on the medium of print as well as on communication more generally. This is the first volume of a new series to appear under the general title of "Routledge Studies in Book Trade History". As the title indicates the contributors to each of the sections, the book consists of two linked sections each containing essays by leading specialists in the field. The first is directly concerned with the lines of access into the various book trades, printing bookselling and binding, and in particular the contributors explore the process by which technical and commercial skills have been transmitted. The second, examines the trade in the context of the audience for print and raises issues about investment and the construction the distribution and consumption of print in the pan-European market. The editors of this volume have already been involved in the publication of a long series books which have picked up the main themes in the history of print. These have included volumes on finance, serial publication, book collecting and music, which have been initiated through the annual conferences on book trade history based in London. The inclusive character of this output in terms of period and place is also reflected here. The contributors working along the frontiers of research each exemplify the methods and objectives of current work and in their essays combine convincing detail with broader cultural perspectives.