Fleet Street

the long version

"This authoritative history of the newspaper press in London, from its earliest days through to the relaunch of The Guardian last year, tells a fascinating story. From the 'newsbooks' of the English Civil War period, and rigorously state-controlled newspapers (such as the London Gazette) launched afterwards, the newspaper industry has adapted and survived to 'give the readers what they want'." "Griffiths shows how political and commercial opportunism, technological advances, price wars, the race to be first with news, the influence of editors, great feature writers, gossip columnists, advertising campaigns, the invention of the cartoon strip and cross-words, the power of the Press Barons - and then the breaking of the power of the unions - have all contributed to the 500-year story."--Jacket.