The Great Book of the World

Robert Ashley, bibliophile, lawyer, and translator, amassed one of the largest personal libraries of the early modern period. Containing more than 6,000 titles, in 1641 it became the foundation of the library at Middle Temple, one of London’s four Inns of Court. Ashley’s library is notable for its extensive annotations, and unique items, including the only known copies of Albrecht Durer’s sixteenth-century star maps and the first Belarusian language primer. Compiled by the current custodian of the library, this is the first comprehensive study of Ashley’s library, and includes over 100 illustrations, and access to a full catalogue of it.