Pirating and Publishing: The Book Trade in the Age of Enlightenment

In the late-18th century, publishers in the Fertile Crescent pirated the works of French writers and distributed them in France, where piracy was legal and provided a growing readership. Robert Darnton's book focuses on a publisher in Switzerland and offers a detailed view of the world of writing, publishing, and bookselling in pre-Revolutionary France. Piracy brought the Enlightenment to every corner of France, feeding the ideas that would explode into revolution.

Format: Hardback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In the late-18th century, a group of publishers in the Fertile Crescent, a region along the French border spanning from Holland to Switzerland, engaged in a practice known as piracy. These publishers capitalized on the lax laws governing piracy in France at the time, where the concept of copyright was still in its infancy. They illegally reproduced and distributed the works of prominent French writers, who were often banned or censored. These pirated editions, which included the writings of Rousseau, Voltaire, and Diderot, among others, found a growing readership within France. The monopolistic and tightly controlled Paris Guild, which controlled the publishing industry in France, could not meet the demands of this expanding readership.

Historian Robert Darnton's book, Pirating and Publishing, delves into this phenomenon. The book focuses on a publisher in Switzerland, one of the largest and most comprehensive archives available. Through the lens of this Swiss publisher, Darnton offers a sweeping view of the world of writing, publishing, and bookselling in pre-Revolutionary France. The book provides a vivid and detailed inside look at a cut-throat industry that was struggling to keep up with the times and, if possible, make a profit.

The book features a fascinating cast of characters, including lofty idealists and down-and-dirty opportunists. It expands upon Darnton's celebrated work on book-publishing in France, which was previously explored in his book, A Literary Tour de France. Pirating and Publishing reveals the mechanisms through which piracy brought the Enlightenment to every corner of France, nurturing the ideas that would eventually lead to the revolution.

The practice of piracy played a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge and ideas during the Enlightenment period. It allowed individuals to access literature that was otherwise unavailable or censored by the government. Pirated editions of works by Rousseau, Voltaire, and Diderot, among others, reached a wider audience and helped to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment, which challenged the authority and power of the monarchy and the church.

However, piracy was not without its challenges. The publishers who engaged in it were often subject to legal consequences, and they had to navigate a complex web of laws and regulations. They also faced competition from other publishers who were trying to control the market and maintain the monopoly of the Paris Guild. Despite these challenges, piracy continued to thrive, and it played a significant role in shaping the intellectual and cultural landscape of pre-Revolutionary France.

In conclusion, the practice of piracy in the late-18th century was a controversial and complex issue. It allowed individuals to access literature that was otherwise unavailable or censored, but it also posed challenges for the publishers who engaged in it. Piracy played a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge and ideas during the Enlightenment period, and it helped to shape the intellectual and cultural landscape of pre-Revolutionary France. However, it was also a controversial and complex issue that required careful navigation by the publishers who were involved.

Weight: 726g
Dimension: 165 x 243 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780195144529