The House of Harper: The Making of a Modern Publisher

An updated edition of this definitive history of Harper—a fascinating look into the history of American letters from the unique perspective of one of the country’s most distinguished and enduring publishers—now with a new introduction that brings the book up to the present day. From Moby Dick to Huckleberry Finn—but not Alice in Wonderland, which was rejected—The House of Harper is a sweeping trip through American letters, offering anecdotes and stories about authors from Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain to Thomas Wolfe, Aldous Huxley, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. |

The epic story of a publishing giant

In 1817 four young brothers opened a printing shop in downtown Manhattan. Two centuries later, their small enterprise has grown into one of the world's largest and most successful publishing houses. The Harper brothers and their sons and successors created a grand cultural institution that has become a cornerstone of America's literary heritage.

Eugene Exman's classic history, published in 1967, The House of Harper is the fascinating account of the birth and growth of a magnificent literary empire. Richly detailed, it is filled with portraits of dynamic publishers and editors, with remarkable anecdotes about the legendary artists and authors whose works they championed and brought to the general public—Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Winslow Homer, Henry James, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Thomas Wolfe, and Aldous Huxley, to name but a few. More than the enthralling saga of a successful business venture, it is a story of the shaping of American literature and culture.

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“This is a book that will amuse and inform, fascinate and intrigue. . . . It is in fact a contribution to Americana.” - Best Seller

“A concise, objective, and well written history of one of America’s greatest publishing houses.” - Library Journal

“Extraordinary.” - Libraries & Culture