The History of the Book in Twentieth-Century Britain and America: Perspective and Evidence.

Current trends in the history of the book reveal the increasing involvement of conventional publishing with the mass media as well as the "mutual involvement of the British and American book worlds." In the late 19th century, American business energy asserted itself in book publishing, as it had in other areas, and reached out to the mass audience. The balance of publishing power shifted from England to the United States and its emphasis changed from the origination of texts to marketing. Access in recent years has, in turn, moved beyond the printed page to the audio book.