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Powerful pages: the beguiling history of books

Emma Smith delves into the fascinating history of books, revealing how their pages can be dangerous as well as magical

Published: July 19, 2022 at 4:03 PM

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For centuries, humanity has had a love affair with books. But these volumes are far more than just receptacles for stories. They have been tools to spread religion and empire, and have contained dangerous politics and talismanic protections. Emma Smith tells Rhiannon Davies about our complex relationship with the printed word.

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Emma Smith is the author of Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers (Allen Lane, 2022)

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Authors

Rhiannon DaviesFreelance journalist

A former BBC History Magazine section editor, Rhiannon has long been fascinated by history and continues to write for HistoryExtra.com. She has appeared on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast, interviewing experts on a variety of subjects, from Lucy Worsley discussing Agatha Christie to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the perils of polar exploration

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