Index, A History of the

What a surprise to discover that the plain and humble index has such an intricate and rollicking history! Dennis Duncan gives us a learned grand tour from ancient times to the almost present in the design and uses - and cunning abuses - of what is still the most sophisticated search tool ever devised. Instruction, passim! Entertainment, idem!

David Bellos, author of Is That a Fish in Your Ear?

Dennis Duncan has done a great service to all bibliophiles by writing this scholarly, witty and affectionate history. By rights "Books, love of" ought to have a page-long entry in the index.

Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Entrancing ... Seldom is a short book so wide-ranging or so original in its subject. Every page has things I didn't know, or hardly realised I knew from a lifetime of looking things up. I want to stop people at random and tell them new facts I've found out. Master the use of the index and you have access to all knowledge.

Christopher de Hamel, author of Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts

Illuminating ... A seemingly niche and esoteric subject, the index becomes, in Duncan's hands, a minor miracle. Index, A History of the is not only about books, printing, and the necessity of consistent page-numbering ... but about the nature of reading and about how we understand, categorise, and engage with the world

Kate Wiles, History Today

Fascinating

Financial Times

Masterful

Prospect

Packed with easy wit and erudition ... Dennis Duncan gives us not only a history of the index, but an essay on human folly ... Some indexes, says Duncan, are miniature narratives, while others are literary performances, and he provides glorious examples of both. Indexes can also be a form of mockery or satire, and they make excellent objects of disdain ... A terrifically rewarding and timely book

The Oldie

Exceptionally good ... I learned a huge amount from this wry, clever, diverting book

Scotsman

Charming ... Indexes are to books as menus are to meals: often the best bit

Economist

Witty and wide-ranging...adventurous... as if academic research were as revved-up as a Formula One race

Peter Conrad, Observer

Hilarious

Sam Leith, UnHerd

I loved this book - the story of the index turns out to be a true adventure

Susie Dent (on Twitter)

Index, A History of the focuses on the ultimate paratext - the index, an ancient information organiser and search tool that is still invaluable in the age of social media ... Its possibilities fascinated writers including Lewis Carrol, JG Ballard and Vladamir Nabokov ... Duncan's brilliant work makes us realise that the back of the book can be as important as the front

The Lady

Brilliant, fascinating...a binge-worthy book

Greg Jenner

To me, a truly great history book is one that changes something in the way in which I see the world Dennis Duncan's Index, A History of the certainly achieved that. Who realised there was such a fascinating, funny and delightful history behind the humble index?

Katja Hoyer, History Today – Books of the Year

Index, A History of the manages to be both a work of immense erudition and perfect Sunday afternoon reading

Joseph Hone, History Today – Books of the Year

Smart, playful....Duncan has written such a generous book, attentive to the varieties of the reading experience

Jennifer Szalai, New York Times

Gracefully learned, often witty and enlightening

Ben Yagoda, Wall Street Journal

Dennis Duncan's history - from Socrates to software - along with Paula Clarke Bain's peerless index, is witty and personable throughout, and also serves as a sneak attack on the search engine. It's safe to say that you will never take an index for granted again

Mary Norris, author of Between You & Me and Greek to Me

Sparkles with geeky wit and shines with an infectious enthusiasm...Always erudite, frequently funny, and often surprising - a treat for lovers of the book qua book

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Backmatter has never enjoyed such a spotlight; sure to amuse bibliophiles and casual readers alike

Library Journal (starred review)

Duncan proves an amiable companion on what his subtitle aptly refers to as a 'bookish adventure'...[U]seful as an introduction to book history in general as well as indexes in particular

James Waddell, Times Literary Supplement

An adventure, and 'bookish' in the most appealing sense.... From ancient Egypt to Silicon Valley, Duncan is an ideal tour guide: witty, engaging, knowledgeable and a fount of diverting anecdotes

Steven Moore, Washington Post

A learned and playful study, by British academic Dennis Duncan, of a textual machinery so successful it's become almost invisible

Brian Dillon, 4Columns

A decidedly fun history.... Dennis Duncan's enthusiasm for the subject matter shines through the many witticisms and illustrations as he shows how something so seemingly small has been so vital to western literature

Erica Ezeifedi, BookRiot

After reading Dennis Duncan's delightful history of the tool, you'll never forget to check the index again ... indexes have shaped the way we communicate and engage with power. They might even have saved lives along the way

TIME Magazine *Book of the Year*

Clever, sprightly ... Duncan is a brilliantly illuminating and wide-ranging guide

Fara Dabhoiwala, New York Review of Books

Brilliant, fascinating...a binge-worthy book

Greg Jenner