A brief overview of 87 banned books (including Salmon Rushdie's "Satanic Verses," which gave the book a whole new level of meaning this week) with a brief synopsis of each book and a little about where, when, and why the book has been challenged. Very quick, very interesting reading. I've read 23 of the books, btw.

Starting in the 15th century with The Decameron, this book proceeds chronologically trough the centuries, listing books that were written and then banned, briefly describing what they are about and what got the moral guardians upset, all the way up to books questioning the world in 2021.

Fiction, science texts, religious commentary, autobiographies, poetry and graphic novels - a wide variety of banned books are listed here with the common thread that, in one way or another, they dare to tell the truth, which makes those in power upset.

When I first looked at this book, seeing DK and illustrations inside, I assumed it would be a children's book, introducing the concept of banned books at an elementary school level.

Not only was I wrong, but I was also pleasantly surprised with the contents.

This books explores banned books from numerous countries in 6 distinct time periods. The books profiled are given a summary, an overview of the content that caused it to be banned - some including historical context as well -, along with when the respective bans were put into place and if they have since ended or continue to be challenged.

One of the things I most appreciated about this book was the inclusion of books from other countries. While I knew about quite a few of the banned books from the United States that were discussed, I knew of very few international banned books and enjoyed learning more.

This book presented the information in a non-biased and engaging way, for people to learn and understand more about the books profiled. For myself, I have been introduced to at least a handful of books I am now interested in reading.

'Read whatever they're trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain because that's exactly what you need to know.' - Levar Burton

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to DK and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Very informative read. Things I really enjoyed included grouping books by time period, including a brief description of the book and why it was banned, and the occasional photo of the author or original book cover. I found the writing dry, and it didn't really hook me to keep reading. This was a book I put down a lot and then came back to because of my own curiosity about which books were included, not necessarily because the writing keeps me reading. Overall I learned a lot and enjoyed the book.

This was not what I was expecting in a fantastic way Well crafted brilliant storyline
This was not what I was expecting in a fantastic way Well crafted brilliant storyline

Do you think that books should be banned? Who should decide? Or…should readers themselves decide what they want to read? These questions have recently come to the forefront once again.

This book is fascinating. A perusal of its contents shows that book banning has been going on for centuries. It also informs the reader that books once banned are not banned for evermore.

For example, the first section of the book includes The Canterbury Tales, a title that is now often studied in schools and universities. Other examples of previously banned books include Frankenstein, Madame Bovary, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird and in the 21st century, The Kite Runner and The Hate U Give. These are just a few of the many books included in this title.

The book begins with a short introduction. The perspective offered is that censorship is generally counterproductive and often controversial. Following this section each title is described and its history and reasons for censorship given.

Browsing through this book will be interesting as readers look at books that they have either read or not picked up. In the end, I think that it invites its readers to think and care about this important issue.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DK for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book provides overviews of some of the frequently books found around the world, and explains why they were/are contested. Most books have one or two pages dedicated to them, with some nice illustrations and quotations throughout. It's more of a book to use as an introduction to the topic, rather than an in-depth look, but as a coffee table-style book to dip into and learn from, it's very interesting. I liked that it was arranged chronologically, moving through time as the books were published, up to our current time (as depressingly, we are still having to deal with book bans today).

I received an electronic ARC from DK through NetGalley.
This book compiles books from all over the world that have been banned. DK breaks down the list via time periods. It's interesting to see some of the books on the list, and more, the reasons they have been banned. The book takes a neutral tone and presents straightforward information on where each book was banned and why it was banned. Well worth the read to reflect on these for myself.

I'm always amazed - although by now should not be - at the fear and loathing underpinning book banning.... This is a nice summary description of a number of the books that have faced challenges over the years. It's more of a reference book than a book to read straight through. The individual descriptions are short, sweet, and to the point and the writing style is easy to engage with and provides just enough information to either satisfy your curiosity or peak your interest to hunt down more.

Thank you to NetGalley and DK for my advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review!

"Banned Books" by DK looks at some of the most controversial books that have been banned. DK delves deep into history in order to illustrate that book banning isn't something unique to our current period, but something that has persisted throughout our history. This is easily shown in how the book is organized which is by the book's time of publication. Honestly, as someone who loves reading and works at a library, I was incredibly interested in this one. One thing that I found kind of irritating is something that has to do with the formatting of my digital copy. About halfway through, I ended up just downloading the NetGalley Shelf app to my iPad so that I could actually look at and see all of the visuals used in this. If you decide to read this, get a print copy or read from a PDF.

All in all, I enjoyed this book but that formatting is not very accessible, at least digitally.

This short book overviews some of the most commonly banned books throughout history. This included some of the books whose bannings frequently make the news, but there were several on this list that I hadn't realized were controversial and several I'd never even heard of.

While I really enjoyed this, note that this book is more of a "coffee-table" style book that just provides brief 1-2 page summaries of each banned book.

I found this to be an excellent and digestible overview and added many of the books to my to read list. Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about banned books.

I loved it! It’s a quick read that is very informative. I’ve added some books to my wishlist. It’s interesting to see what offends some people as I’ve read some of the mentioned books, and didn’t find anything to bother me.

A must read for every book lover. Gave me many new additions for my reading list. Fascinating read that inspires one to not only read, but question those who want to censor what books we have access to.

Banned Books
by DK
Pub Date: August 23, 2022
Non-fiction *History
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Banned Books explores why some of the world’s most important literary classics and seminal non-fiction titles were once deemed too controversial for the public to read – whether for challenging racial or sexual norms, satirizing public figures, or simply being deemed unfit for young readers. From the banning of All Quiet on the Western Front and the repeated suppression of On the Origin of the Species, to 1984, Fahrenheit 45, Catcher in the Rye and Huckleberry Fin, this must-have volume examines the astonishing role that some banned books have played in changing history. I found this book to be very interesting and have purchased one for our library.
Great book!~
4 stars

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I enjoyed reading this history of banned books and was introduced to some that I had never heard of.

This is such a helpful guide to books that have been banned throughout history. It's a nice list to keep and work your way through, so you can understand why these titles have been challenged and why it's important to read them.

Beautifully illustrated book with loads of insightful info about the history of banned books. What I appreciated the most about this book was that it addressed the banning of lesser known books, books that are often overlooked because they were so successfully removed from society that for many, many years, they were completely inaccessible to readers.

This book offers a brief overview of book censorship throughout the ages. The chapters offer tidy tidbits about the most frequently banned books in each century, complete with quotations and illustrations. This book also does a good job of documenting the recent (2010-) upswing in book censorship in the United States and worldwide, an interesting if deeply disturbing trend. Overall this is an excellent resource for a basic summary on this topic as well as a useful reading list!

Quick Summary: Very informative and outlined well; introductory level resource

My Review: My first impression of Banned Books: The World's Most Controversial Books, Past and Present by D.K. Publishing was one of curiosity. I was intrigued by the title, and I wondered what books would be presented. I also wondered how the featured works would be portrayed.

The publisher did a great job with outlining the book's content. I appreciated how each period was labeled. Additionally, I really liked how the societal attitudes, temporal nuances, and audience responses and/or receptiveness were noted.

The layout and soft illustrations were effective and did not detract from the informative content. They were appropriate and invited the reader to further engage with the material.

The one negative critique I have relates to the book's cover. I did not find it to be visually appealing. Although I understood the approach, I felt that it was too plain. It seemed to be out of sync with what was inside the book. I feel it may deter some readers.

My Final Say: As banned books have now, and it seems have always been considered to be a controversial topic, I believe that this book will be of interest to many. It is easy to follow and could, undoubtedly, be used as a classroom resource for upper middle to high school ages and up.

* I would love for this book to be the first in a series featuring banned books. It was a fantastic idea!

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Upper Middle/High School to Adult
Keeper: Yes
Re-read: Yes

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley, who provided a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own and were not influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

Banned Books, as the title suggests, gives an overview of the history of book banning. Extending back centuries this novel chronicles the practice of book banning. It's well structured, organized temporally by novel and provides insight into a series of fascinating works.