Revised second edition. This short, illustrated account of the world's oldest publishing house emphasizes the constitutional basis of the Press as an essential part of its parent university from the publication of the Press's first book in 1584 through to the present day. It highlights key moments of crisis and change including Richard Bentley's revival in the 1690s, the Victorian renaissance, the rise of modern university publishing, two world wars, the crisis of the 1970s which was resolved by Geoffrey Cass' bold reconstruction and the enterprising printing and publishing developments of the 1990s. Illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs.