The book by French historian Lucien Polastron is dedicated to the destruction of books and libraries throughout world history, from antiquity to the present day. Based on extensive material, the author examines this phenomenon from different points of view - historical, philosophical, religious, psychological, socio-political and others.

CONTENTS:1. PREFACE 9

2. AT THE CRADLE OF THE LIBRARY WHEN CLAY COULD SPEAK 14

3. ERA OF PAPYRUS 20EGYPT 20Buildings of Alexandria 24Destructions of Alexandria 31ATHENS 38ROME 42CONSTANTINOPLE 55

4. AT THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM 60ANDALUSIA 67MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC EAST 74

5. THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK 94

6. ASIA BEFORE THE XX CENTURY 102PAPER BURNS BETTER THAN BAMBOO 102INDIA AT THE SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE 129THE SWORD AND THE BRUSH 134

7. CHRISTIAN WEST 137INQUISITION 137CATHOLIC SPAIN 138NEW WORLD 148FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO REVOLUTIONS 156The Middle Ages and how to get out of them 156Dances of Death in the Renaissance 162Revolutions and evolutions 175

8. NEW BIBLIOCLASTS 199BOOKS IN WARS 200NAZISM, HOLOCAUST 209AROUND THE WORLD AT THE END OF THE CENTURY 234USSR 234China 240Cambodia 249Sri Lanka 251Kashmir 251Cuba 253France 254Africa 256Balkans s 258Afghanistan 262Iraq 265

9. LOSSES IN PEACETIME 273 THE ELEMENTS 276 LIBRARY AT SEA 290 THEFT 294 DEATH 302

10. MODERN DIFFICULTIES 310

11. FIRE-RESISTANT KNOWLEDGE 329

12. INSTEAD OF AN AFTERWORD: RETURN TO ALEXANDRIA 338

APPENDIX 1. Great writers are unanimous: delenda est bibliothecal 346Arsonists 346Hierophants 349APPENDIX 2. Brief history of the inventory of lost books with a final legend 362HIDDEN BIBLE EDEMA 366SELECTED CHRONOLOGY 369BIBLIOGRAPHY 374

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