The Book Prize Index

Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack

Richard Ovenden

An unforgettable 3,000-year-old journey - from Mesopotamian clay tablets trying to predict the future, to Tudor book-hunters and Nazi bonfires, and on into the dangers of our increasingly digital existence, Burning the Books shows how the preservation of knowledge is vital for the survival of civilization itself. 'A wonderful book, full of good stories and burning with passion' SUNDAY TIMES, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 'Compelling, fascinating and rewarding' LITERARY REVIEW 'When books burn, it is more than just words under attack . . . this extraordinary book should stir us to thinking and to action' FINANCIAL TIMES 'A tale of ingenuity and deep courage' GUARDIAN 'A stark warning - the truth itself is under attack' THE TIMES, BOOKS OF THE YEAR.

HistoryHistory · medium confidenceHistory81 signalsLlm Classifier: History -> HistoryKeyword Classifier: Arts & Criticism -> Arts & CriticismKeyword Classifier: Technology -> TechnologyWorld War IITechnology, Computing & AIEssays & Cultural CriticismTravel, Exploration & Place

Award History

0 wins · 1 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
Wolfson History PrizeMajor2022ShortlistOfficial source
View all award history (1)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    Preserving knowledge is vital for the survival of civilization, because knowledge is repeatedly endangered—from historical book burnings to dangers of an increasingly digital existence.

    Model confidence 78%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    38 / 100 academic

    Serious trade

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 60%.