Towers of Books

The Boekentoren, designed by Henry van de Velde, has housed the Ghent University library since 1942. But this unusual library is much more than just an iconic building.

In this book, the historian Ruben Mantels recounts the turbulent history of the library, from the ‘liberation of the book’ to the ‘powerful thrust of Modernism’, from the French Revolution to the digital revolution and Google Books. Portraits of librarians, the reading public and the collections are all given a place, while old manuscripts, Ephemera and Gandavensia give up their secrets.

Innumerable illustrations and photos bring the story of the Tower of Books to life. This work is a must-have for everyone with a place in their heart for Ghent and for literature.