The Widening CircleThree distinguished authorities offer informed reflections on the history of books, on literary commerce, and on the reading public in eighteenth century England, France, and Germany. Concerned with an area of study that has gone largely unexploredthe social function of the book trade and the various agencies of distributionRobert Darnton. Roy M. Wiles, and Bernhard Fabian lay the groundwork for the intellectual, social, and literary historian as well