"From the Frankfurt book fairs in the sixteenth century to the Farringdon Road barrows in the twentieth, fairs and markets have played a crucial role in the circulation of books. Travelling pedlars, hawkers and chapmen have also acted as intermediaries in distributing printed material beyond the reach of conventional bookshops, while itinerant printers caused problems of control for the authorities." "In this volume, leading book historians investigate the presence of the book trade in the streets and public spaces of Britain and continental Europe. The essays range across geographical as well as chronological frontiers to follow the movement of books, ideas and people."--BOOK JACKET.