Synopsis
A remarkably complete record of both John Murray's business career (1768-1793) and his private life is preserved in the archive of the London publishing house that still bears his name. In this book, Zachs exploits that material to fully trace Murray's success in the competitive book trade, success which he achieved by imaginatively using many of the new practices that were revolutionizing the industry. The accounts of Murray's negotiations with authors and other traders, and the details of how he produced and marketed his publications, lay bare the fundamental economics of the book trade in a surprisingly contemporary way. And all the while, Zachs also tells the story of a remarkable life. Murray was a complicated man--honest and hypocritical, self-serving and generous, a constant schemer capable of considerable spontaneity, and so forth. He was married twice (to sisters), was the father of an illegitimate son for whom he had lifelong affection, and was always anything but conventional.
Review
`William Zachs is highly informative on such matters as late 18th-century copyright disputes and the emergence of a lucrative market in medical textbooks.'
Sunday Telegraph
An impeccably produced volume, it has illustrations from the Murray Archive, including title pages, ledger entries and family portraits./ Ian Norrie, Highbury and Islington Express/ 15/01/99 ( also published in Hampstead and Highgate Express, 15/01/99)
painstaking and remarkable study.../ There is no doubting its value, not only because of the importance of John Murray I in his own right, but also because of the special claims of his surviving archive./ Dr Zachs is a sure-footed guide to Murray and the history of the book trade in this
period./ ... it will prove an indispensible resource in all future attempts to chart the progress of London publishing in this period./ James Raven, TLS, 04/06/99.
`the distinction of this biography lies in its depiction of the book trade during a decisive period of the industrys maturation.'
Elizabeth Lane Furdell, Govt and Opp.
`The production values of The First John Murray are outstanding ... indispensable for scholars of the English book business and ... anyone fascinated by Georgian cultural history.'
Elizabeth Lane Furdell, Govt and Opp.
`It is fair to say that William Zachs has written not one book about his subject but two: a highly readable and carefully researched biography of the first John Murray and a comprehensive and detailed checklist of Murray's publications. Both are important contributions to the history of the
book in eighteenth-century England.'
Frank Donoghue, Albion
`an excellent study that should be read by everybody who has more than a passing interest in the eighteenth century book trade.'
Sharp News, vol. 10, no. 3
`fascinating biography ... with a splendid and rewarding list of over 1000 Murray publications.'
Sharp News, vol.10, no.3
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
