We know surprisingly little about the Library of Alexandria - the most famous library of the ancient world, created in the 3rd century BC with the goal of collecting “all the books of all peoples” (the founders estimated the task at approximately 500 thousand scrolls). library" we understand differently. Professor Canfora in his book thoroughly revises everything that is known about the “disappeared library” and reconstructs its nine-century history. Luciano Canfora is an outstanding Italian historian and classical philologist, professor at the University of Bari, scientific coordinator of the School of Historical Sciences of San Marino. A man of bottomless erudition. a recognized expert on antiquity, an active supporter of the method of interdisciplinary research; his works have repeatedly become the subject of heated debate in the scientific community.