This book tells the story of the turbulent decades when the book publishing industry collided
with the great technological revolution of our time. From the surge of ebooks to the
self-publishing explosion and the growing popularity of audiobooks Book Wars provides a
comprehensive and fine-grained account of technological disruption in one of our most important
and successful creative industries. Like other sectors publishing has been thrown into
disarray by the digital revolution. The foundation on which this industry had been based for
500 years - the packaging and sale of words and images in the form of printed books - was
called into question by a technological revolution that enabled symbolic content to be stored
manipulated and transmitted quickly and cheaply. Publishers and retailers found themselves
facing a proliferation of new players who were offering new products and services and
challenging some of their most deeply held principles and beliefs. The old industry was
suddenly thrust into the limelight as bitter conflicts erupted between publishers and new
entrants including powerful new tech giants who saw the world in very different ways. The book
wars had begun. While ebooks were at the heart of many of these conflicts Thompson argues that
the most fundamental consequences lie elsewhere. The print-on-paper book has proven to be a
remarkably resilient cultural form but the digital revolution has transformed the industry in
other ways spawning new players which now wield unprecedented power and giving rise to an
array of new publishing forms. Most important of all it has transformed the broader
information and communication environment creating new challenges and new opportunities for
publishers as they seek to redefine their role in the digital age. This unrivalled account of
the book publishing industry as it faces its greatest challenge since Gutenberg will be
essential reading for anyone interested in books and their future.
