The History of Reading offers an engaging, accessible overview from the rise of literacy through to the current trend of ‘book clubs’. Divided into seven sections, each with a useful introduction, this Reader: summarises the main debates and perspectives shaping the field introduces key theorists such as Iser, Fish and Bakhtin surveys influential works and outlines important studies on mass reading focuses on specific communities such as Welsh miners, African American library users and Australian convicts looks at individual readers from a variety of countries, classes and historical periods considers current research in the history of reading. Providing both a clear introduction to the history of the field and a taster of the breadth, diversity and vitality of current debates, this Reader is an essential resource for undergraduates, graduates, and researchers.