This book tells the story of the turbulent decades when the book publishing industry collided with the great technological revolution of our time. From the surge of ebooks to the self-publishing explosion and the growing popularity of audiobooks, Book Wars provides a comprehensive and fine-grained account of technological disruption in one of our most important and successful creative industries. Like other sectors, publishing has been thrown into disarray by the digital revolution. The foundation on which this industry had been based for 500 years – the packaging and sale of words and images in the form of printed books – was called into question by a technological revolution that enabled symbolic content to be stored, manipulated and transmitted quickly and cheaply. Publishers and retailers found themselves facing a proliferation of new players who were offering new products and services and challenging some of their most deeply held principles and beliefs. The old industry was suddenly thrust into the limelight as bitter conflicts erupted between publishers and new entrants, including powerful new tech giants who saw the world in very different ways. The book wars had begun. While ebooks were at the heart of many of these conflicts, Thompson argues that the most fundamental consequences lie elsewhere. The print-on-paper book has proven to be a remarkably resilient cultural form, but the digital revolution has transformed the industry in other ways, spawning new players which now wield unprecedented power and giving rise to an array of new publishing forms. Most important of all, it has transformed the broader information and communication environment, creating new challenges and new opportunities for publishers as they seek to redefine their role in the digital age. This unrivalled account of the book publishing industry as it faces its greatest challenge since Gutenberg will be essential reading for anyone interested in books and their future.

These are turbulent times in the world of book publishing. For nearly five centuries the methods and practices of book publishing remained largely unchanged, but at the dawn of the twenty-first century the industry finds itself faced with perhaps the greatest challenges since Gutenberg. A combination of economic pressures and technological change is forcing publishers to alter their practices and think hard about the future of the books in the digital age. In this book - the first major study of trade publishing for more than 30 years - Thompson situates the current challenges facing the industry in an historical context, analysing the transformation of trade publishing in the United States and Britain since the 1960s. He gives a detailed account of how the world of trade publishing really works, dissecting the roles of publishers, agents and booksellers and showing how their practices are shaped by a field that has a distinctive structure and dynamic. This new paperback edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to take account of the most recent developments, including the dramatic increase in ebook sales and its implications for the publishing industry and its future.

Henry thinks he is simply saving a butterfly from being eaten by Mr Fogarty's cat - but he is in fact saving the life of a misdirected exiled fairy prince. A prince who has to get back to his own land in order to thwart a threatened attack by the Faeries of the Night. But time is against Pyrgus Malvae and soon he is relying on Henry and Mr Fogarty not just to get him home but also to solve the puzzle that surrounds his exile. A wonderful, gripping, page-turning read full of the kind of detail that will ensure that this fabulous fantastic novel will have readers young and old holding their breath as the story unfolds.

Nearly 13,000 items with checklist style listings, over 2700 color photos, and accurate estimated values makes this collector's guide a must-have for everybody selling, buying, or who has ever owned and enjoyed merchandise produced for the Star WarsTM saga. Goods have been collected from over 50 countries and compiled together into this impressive tome, the longest running Star Wars identification guide series in print. The items available in this guide, with the exception of toys-a category so large it requires its own book, range from Advertising and Dart Boards to Squeaky Toys and Window Clings. From the 1976 pre-release movie paperback through the latest Clone Wars kitchenware, thirty-five years of exciting and obscure Star Wars collectibles are archived here for you to discover, marvel over, and enjoy.

Star Wars: The Book of Lists takes a fascinating look at the galaxy far, far away through trivia culled from both on-screen and off over the history of the franchise. More than a simple accounting of fan-favorite characters or biggest opening weekends, this book is a compendium of the most compelling facts about the saga and fandom summarized in 100 lists. Find out these fun facts and more with comprehensive lists covering everything you'd want to know about the characters, creatures, ships, planets, and more: Which character has been to the most planets? What are the deadliest creatures in the galaxy? Who shared the most memorable kisses? Which actors have voiced the most characters? What are some of the most surprising cameos? Compiling a galaxy's worth of trivia and information about the Star Wars Universe, Star Wars: The Book of Lists is an entertainingly accessible trivia format for both hardcore fans and casual viewers.

'There is, as you pick it up, nothing to prepare you for its power' OBSERVER 'Quite simply, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read' AMINATTA FORNA How do we navigate our complex histories for our children? What is our duty to share and what must we leave for them to discover? Writing to his daughter, David Chariandy asks difficult, unsettling, perhaps impossible questions – questions made all the more poignant by our current political landscape. With tender, spare and luminous prose, Chariandy looks both into his heart and mind and out to the world and humanity. In the tradition of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, this is a book about race; this is a book about family.