On the Burning of Books

Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, CH, PC is a British politician and a former Conservative MP, having served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Education and as Home Secretary. He has previously written two books: George III: A Life in Caricature and George IV: A Life in Caricature.

"The torching of paper and boards may turn manuscripts and books into ashes, but as Baker shows, the words, thoughts, ideas, and feelings that censors hoped to destroy often live on, even gaining power. An illuminating and thought-provoking book about the role books have played in social turmoil." Booklist;"Kenneth baker's account of books burnt down the ages for political, religious or personal reasons is frighteningly pertinent and apposite...directly and devastatingly written" The Daily Mail Book of the Week;"This is a book which, as one eyes its lavish illustrations and dips into its elegant prose, looks as if it ought to come with an option to buy a cut-price John Lewis coffee table.On the Burning of Books is, in fact, much more than that. It wears its scholarship lightly. Bakers compendium of punchy, textual-pictorial examples covers the ground from Caliph Omar, destroyer of the Library of Alexandria, Goebbels s bibliocaust , Bomber Harris s fiery raids on Leipsig and Dresden, and the Bradford protestors who tied a copy of The Satanic Verses to a stake and tried to incinerate it. It charred, but did not burn. A symbol, some might say." The Spectator; "I so admire Kenneth, a truly go-ahead former education secretary; and to have produced (at 81) this inspiring history, testament to the brave and raspberry to intolerance, is magnificent." Matthew Parris -The Times;"On the Burning of Books: How Flames Fail to Destroy the Written Word is an informative book on a hot topic...In essence, Bakers is a superior sort of coffee-table book" New Statesman;"Why have Harry Potter, Superman and Animal Farm all been put to the flame? Former Home Secretary Kenneth Baker illuminates the strange history of book-burning..." Mail on Sunday; "Richly illustrated and printed on high quality art paper, this book is a delectable treat for lovers of literature, history and many other disciplines besides." Journal of the Commonwealth Lawyers' Association