A Brief History of Paperback Books

Most people are aware that the invention of printing has had a profound impact on our culture, but you might not realise that the humble paperback book has also played an important role. The paperback has become the most popular choice for books and it has enabled vast numbers of people to access texts that they would never otherwise have read. The perfect bound paperback books that we print today are part of a long and proud history.

Before the Paperback

Affordable, flexible booklets and pamphlets have been around for centuries. Some were booklets with just a handful of pages sharing popular songs and stories. Others were more substantial, but still didn’t match the durable paperback book that we know today.

The First Paperbacks

• The earliest paperback or “yellowback” books in the UK were created in the mid 19th century as an alternative to the serial stories and penny dreadfuls that told shocking tales in short pamphlets. Similar books were printed in other countries, like the Dime novels that were popular in the US.
• Many early paperbacks were affordable editions of classic novels or educational books, but there were also plenty of adventure stories and sensational novels. Authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson were particularly popular.
• Paperbacks were often marketed at railway stations as a suitable choice for the growing class of commuters. The books were smaller and lighter than traditional hardbacks, so were ideal for placing in briefcases or pockets.

The Modern Paperback Book

• Publishers began creating paperback books for the mass-market in the 1930s, with companies such as Penguin Books making their mark with easy to recognise logos and colour-coded spines. The books were small, affordable and very popular.
• The paperback was being taken more seriously, despite some initial reluctance from booksellers, but the Second World War intervened. However, the compact paperback still provided welcome entertainment for soldiers and civilians to carry with them.
• The popularity of paperbacks soared in the postwar period and they played a key role in spreading new philosophies and ideas to the general public. The paperback book helped to open up access to knowledge that had previously been held only by the elite.