The LibraryA sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched, of that extraordinary and enduring phenomenon: the library Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge under Attack Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes or filled with bean bags and children's drawings the history of the library is rich, varied and