Lives in print

"Biography as a genre has a long history: this collection of original essays points the reader in two directions. First, it shows how biography has become one of the staples of the business of publishing. Second, it highlights the role of the men and women who earned their living in the production and distribution of books and serials. With contributions from leading specialists, this volume illustrates the development of biography from the Middle Ages to the present day - from manuscript lives of the saints to the current revision and production of the new Dictionary of National Biography."--BOOK JACKET.