Paul F Kisak

Libraries of The Ancient World Paul F Kisak

Libraries have been deliberately or accidentally destroyed or badly damaged. Sometimes a library is purposely destroyed as a form of cultural cleansing, an act of war or by fire. There are examples of accidentally destroyed libraries by human actions. Other times they are damaged by natural disasters like earthquakes, floods or accidental fires. Library fires have happened sporadically through the centuries: notable examples are the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, destruction of Library of Nalanda in India and the accidental burning of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar. Causes vary from war and arson to the sun's rays setting fire to leaflets through the action of a magnifying lens, as happened to a library in Northam, Devon. More than 65 historically priceless libraries have been destroyed by one means or another. This book discusses their background, contents, history and destruction. Sometimes one of the most effective tools of war is destroying libraries and thus decimating the cultural history of a civilization. This book is designed to be a reference and provide an overview of the topic and give the reader a structured knowledge to familiarize yourself with the topic at the most affordable price possible. The accuracy and knowledge is of an international viewpoint as the edited articles represent the inputs of many knowledgeable individuals and some of the most current knowledge on the topic, based on the date of publication.