The first grand volume of a projected five addressing the role libraries have played in building and preserving Western culture focuses on the early archive libraries from Crete to the famous library of the Ptolemies in Alexandria 1,800 years of the struggle to preserve knowledge through the written word. Staikos, a scholar of library history, is also the author of The Great Libraries . The volume is richly illustrated in color and b&w. Oversize: 9x11.75<">. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)